Dawn of DeNile
by DeNile0
Summary: He woke in a field. No memories, no recollection of his past, just a book. When he first spoke a word to Chrom, he set a series of events in motion. Events that shaped history. (HIATUS)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Invisible Ties

A slash of the blade, a wave of the hand. The results of both actions collided, cancelling each other out. "Yah! Stop running away, you coward!" A blue haired man cried out, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Fool!" A tall, thin man with rough, violet skin replied, ascending into the air. He raised another hand and used the long and bony fingers to flip the pages of a purple book in the other, the raised hand becoming shrouded in a dark mist. He jerked it downward and forced it down onto the muscular man below him.

He used his sword to stab into the ground and force himself to the right, the explosion forcing him farther than he intended into a pile of rubble. Using his blade as a cane, he forced himself up. "Gah... Up there!"

The next magical attack was blocked by a surge of ice, originating from a book similar to the one the violet man was holding. This book was wielded by a hooded figure, wearing a long robe with several diverging and converging yellow swirls.

The hooded figure launched its second attack, a powerful thunderous blast that made full contact with the tall man's body, causing him to cry out and his body to explode into dust.

The two people approached each other, a smile on the man's face. "Alright! We're through!" But all was not well. The violet man appeared on the ground, retching.

"No... This cannot be.. Damn you... Damn you BOTH!" In a last ditch ever, he mustered up what remained of his life force, and launched it towards the two.

The hooded figure shoved the other man out of the way, saving him from the attack. As a consequence, the figure took the force of the attack head on, knocking him back and sending him crashing into a purple forcefield.

"No!" The man ran towards the figure, and helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes... I'm fine. Just hurt my back is all..." The figure replied in a raspy, male voice.

"Great..." The man smiled, a look of relief on his face. "We can rest easy now... It's all over."

The figure hunched over and clutches his head, retching as his head pulsed. "_You will obey me... I'm not through yet, worm..."_

The man's face turned from a look of happiness to one of concern, clearly worried about his apparent friend. "Hey, are you okay? I-if you want, we can go get one of our clerics. I'm sure Maribelle'd be happy to-" his voice was cut short as he sharply inhaled, his pupils dilating. He stumbled back, clutching the object that had impaled him, an icy spear that was radiating frost.

The hooded man looked down at his shaking hand, his body quivering. It was clear what he had done, and his mind was instantly consumed by mixed feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and regret.

The blue haired man struggled to stand, but lended some reassuring words to his friend. "This... Is not your... fault. Please, get out of here... safely," he outstretched his arm and reached out as his body collapsed, the life leaving him.

The hooded man dropped to his knees and looked at his hands, his breathing unstable and his body shaking.

_ "No... __I__-I'm sorry..."_ He looked at the body, tears streaming down his face. "_Chrom... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I-I couldn't stop it..." _

His thoughts were filled with a sinister laugh, driving him insane. His vision faded to black as he stared at nothing, slowly losing consciousness.

"Well, we can't exactly just LEAVE him here. We have to do **something."**

"Well, what do you propose we do? It's not every day you find a random girl in the middle of a field.".

"I dunno!" The conversation was viewed through opening eyes from a downward view. "I mean, we-" the female voice said, noticing the open eyes. She leaned in closely, a little too close for comfort for the boy. "Hi there..." She said, her voice trailing off as if she was talking down to a puppy she found.

The man, who had cyan colored hair, kneeled down. "There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know."

The stranger took the man's hand, allowing him to pull him up. "Thank you, Chrom..." His voice was raspy and shaky, a sign of some kind of nightmare.

"Hm?" The cyan haired man, presumably named Chrom, raised an eyebrow. "So you know who I am then?"

The other boy squinted, sort of confused. "Huh? Oh... I guess I do."

Chrom smiled, snickering. "Well, now that do know my name, do you mind telling me yours?"

"Oh! Um, yes, it's..." He paused and bit his lip... "I'm... Not sure."

The blonde one gasped, a smile on her face. "Oh! I've heard of this! It's called amnesia! It's where someone doesn't know a bunch of stuff about their past!"

The sweet, high pitched voice was then replaced by an intimidating, deep one. "It's called a load of pegasus dung. Who are you? A Plegian spy? A Valmese scout? I've heard that they've teamed up against-"

"Frederick."

The armored man, Frederick, turned to Chrom, his brown hair blowing in the wind. "Apologies, I just find it hard to believe that this... person, knows Milord's name and not their own."

"I-It's the truth, I swear! Why would I lie to three strangers?

"Because there would be little to no consequences!" Frederick spat, untrusting of a stranger.

_ Why don't these guys believe me? I haven't done anything wrong, have I? I'm just... Scared... _

Chrom turned his head, looking to Frederick. "And what if it IS true? We can't just leave a defenseless woman alone in a field!"

"Wait what-"

"If we did, then what kind of Shepherds would we be then?"

Frederick cleared his throat, standing up straight. "Just the same, Milord. I must exercise heavy caution when approaching, and interacting with a potential threat. It would be a great danger to the Shepherds if I were to let a wolf into our flock."

The peppy blonde tilted her head, confused. "You talk funny, Freddy."

Chrom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Right then... If you feel as if she may be a danger, then we'll take her back to town and sort this out there."

_ Am I a woman?... No, I'm positively a man... Do I LOOK like a woman? _The smaller boy looked towards a puddle, and say a glimpse of his reflection. He noted his peculiar silver eyes, and his long, back length white ponytail. His face wasn't necessarily feminine, as you could only barely see his jawline, and even then it was faint. His cheeks had a certain blush to it, and he could see why they thought that he was a girl. And his voice didn't help. Faint and raspy, it was more or less gender neutral.

"Hey, um... I'm not a-"

The blonde pouted, raising an eyebrow. "Doesn't she get a say in this?

"Of course. I promise that we'll hear all she has to say back in town. Now come on."

The four marched through the what seemed like never ending plain, and the boy quickly got tired. "What will you do with me?" He asked as he walked, his feet aching. "Am I gonna be your prisoner?"

Chrom smiled, chuckling. "Of course not! You'll be free to go once we determine that you're no enemy of Ylisse."

Being forced to walk with three people he just meant certainly felt like prison. "Wait... I-is that where we are? Ylisse..?"

Frederick arched his eyebrows, upset. "You've never heard of the halidom?" His anger changed quickly to a grin. "Hah! Someone pay her, she must be an actress! She plays quite the dumb blonde."

The boy bit his lip, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm not even blonde... Or a girl..." He muttered.

Chrom sighed once again, inhaling. "Frederick, please," he turned to the boy and did not notice as he quickly wiped away the tears. "This land is the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, called Emmeryn, is referred to as the exalt. Oh, actually, I suppose some introductions are in order. Excuse my impoliteness." He cleared his throat and closed his eyes, standing tall. "My name is Chrom-as you already know. The little delicate one is my sister, Lissa."

The blonde stomped her feet, raising her arms. "I am SO not delicate! Hmph!" _Kinda childish... _"Ignore my idiot brother, please. He can be a tiny bit thick sometimes." Lissa's frown turned into a smile, flashing her teeth. "But anyway, you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been an unpleasant awakening, especially to such a pretty girl such as yourself." _You think I'm pretty? _"Uhn! It gives me chills just thinking what they would've done to you!"

"W-wait. Did you say Shepherds? You tend to sheep... In full armor? Are the sheep like, super big or...?"

Chrom smiled, tapping the hilt of his sword. "It's a pretty dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here, he knows."

Frederick grumbled, looking to the side. "Because Naga forbid that one of us show a little caution..." _Naga? Who's that? _"Believe me, stranger, I do indeed wish to trust you, but my careful nature forces me to do otherwise."

The boy nodded, smoothing back his hair. "Oh... Okay then. I understand..." The boy spoke against his will, his vocal cords, tongue, and mouth having a mind of their own. "My name is DeNile." He raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "I... I think I just remembered that..."

Chrom tilted his head, curious. "DeNile, huh? Is that foreign? Oh well, we can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we get there, we can-"

He was interrupted by a loud shriek, coming from his younger sister. "Chrom, look! The town!"

Everyone turned around to see the town completely engulfed in flames, smoke drawing attention to it. "Agh! Damn it! The town is ablaze!"

Frederick whistled, signalling a brown, armored horse to come racing out of the forest to his side. "Those blasted Plegian brigands, no doubt."

Chrom unsheathed his sword, which looked peculiar. "Frederick, Lissa! Quickly! We have to help!"

Lissa turned to DeNile, frowning. "What about her?"

Chrom took a running stance as he was ready to dash. "Unless she's on fire as well, it it can wait!"

Lissa pulled out a staff, looking very... Holy. "Let's go already! Hurry up!" With that, the three dashed away, hastily making their way towards the town.

"B-but what about-" DeNile said. He sighed, kicking some dirt. _Should I follow them? I might hold them back... But if I don't go, they could die, and then what would I do? I don't even have anything to defend myself... _He sighed, shoving his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Oh?" He pulled out a large, light blue book with a drawing of a snowflake on it, labeled "Flurry". Curiosity got the best of him as he opened the book and read the very first page.

** "The following is the complete guide to the spell: Flurry. If you wish to see another tome, please purchase some from a merchant." **

** "The Flurry spell is a rare, yet weak spell. It is the most basic form of it's series of tomes, the frost tomes..." **

** So, that's the first chapter! It may be a bit slow, but it gets better. It would mean the WORLD to me if you reviewed, as I feed on feedback.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: First Blood

"Gwa ha ha!" A loud voice boomed throughout the central plaza of the village. "Get to it, lads! Grab anything that gleams, and set fire to the rest! We gots to show these Ylissean fools who's the real powerful halidom! Ain't that right, lassy?" The short, scruffy man named Garrick asked the tall maiden.

"You stay away from me, you brute! Please! Someone! Help me!" She yelled he grabbed her arm.

Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick arrived at the scene, armed and ready."Chrom, we have to stop them!" Lissa cried, forlorn.

"Don't worry- after today, these scoundrels won't be bothering anyone but the worms ever again..." Chrom held out his blade, ready for combat.

"Watch ooooouuut!" DeNile came running onto the scene, almost crashing into Lissa. "Wait!"

Chrom gasped, obviously surprised. "DeNile! You followed us! Why? You'd be safer back there!"

DeNile gulped, panting. "I-I can help. I have a tome!" He showed Chrom the thick blue book that he had found, hoping that he would understand.

Frederick scoffed. "So you couldn't remember your own name, yet you know magic?"

DeNile nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. Chrom smiles, nodding. "Of course! Strength in numbers, but don't die!"

The white haired boy smiled, grateful. Then, a large, icy javelin appeared on his waist, which he surprisingly did not notice.

Chrom was the first to make a move. He rushed towards a fruit stand and jumped to the top of it, landing hard. He leaned back and pushed his feet forward, doing a backflip off of the stand as it went rolling towards a ruffian, running him over. As he landed, another brigand swung his ax at him, which grazed his bare arm. The brigand was quickly silenced by the power of Chrom's blade, however, not without leaving his mark.

"I've got you, Chrom!" Lissa raised her staff, the orb on it flashing a bright light. The wound on Chrom's arm closed up, the blood disappearing. "I may not have what it takes to attack, but I can surely pick you up when you fall!"

DeNile watched, amazed at Lissa's healing. However, his awe was cut short by the feeling of a sword swinging by him, thankfully missing.

"Yah!" Before the enemy could strike again, DeNile outstretched his hand and said _"Benedicite Glacies!"_ Several icy pentagons formed on the outskirts of his hand, a snowflake shape forming in his hand. The snowflake went forward at lightning speed, exploding on impact with the sword wielder's chest. The fragments of the snowflake surrounded him, then coming together to completely encase him in snow.

Frederick, after stabbing an ax wielder in the chest with his lance, gasped at DeNile's actions. "Th-That's the mythical Flurry tome! I thought those didn't exist!"

DeNile raised an eyebrow, confused. "Huh? I just found it in my-" He turned around on instinct, punching a brigand in the throat, temporarily immobilizing him. "_Benedicite Glacies!_" The spell took out the brigand, DeNile emerging victorious.

Chrom swung his sword, decapitating his foe. "I don't care how you got that, don't use it too much! If you do, the pages will become worn and unusable. You have a spear on your waist, use that!"

"What?" Sure enough, DeNile spotted the spear. Deciding not to question it, he withdrew it from its holster and ran towards a bow wielder at amazing speed, nearly a blur. He stabbed the enemy in his stomach and kept running, turning on his heel and impaling another enemy. He used his foot to kick them off, both of them dead.

Frederick took down the last of the foes, his horse trampling them. DeNile decided that he would be the one to take down the leader of the group, jumping off of a wall and spinning in the air in order to pierce Garrick's neck.

Garrick let out a gargled scream, the blood filling his mouth. DeNile jerked his spear to the left, breaking it off in Garrick's neck. Without DeNile noticing, the spear quickly regenerated, maintaining its sharpness.

Clearly, the battle had been won. DeNile restrapped his spear to his robe belt, panting. "Well, it's over. That's the end of that..."

Lissa squealed, stomping her feet to show her excitement. "Woah! DeNile, you're so cool! I've heard about Ice magic from my teacher, but he said it was just a myth! Who would've thought it was actually real!? You were incredible! You had your tome, which looks SO sweet! And your spear thingy grew back after you broke it! Who taught you how to fight like that?"

"Amnesia..."

"Oh yeah, you have amnesia."

Chrom smiled, ruffling Lissa's hair. "Well, your certainly no helpless girl, that I can be sure of."

Frederick stabled his horse, careful not to fall off. "Correct. Maybe you can even tell us of how you came here?"

DeNile frowned, sighing and looking down. "I understand your worry, Frederick. A-and I don't know why I only remember a few things. But believe me when I say I've shared all I know..."

Chrom layed a hand on DeNile's shoulder, smiling. "You fought to save Ylissean lives, quite gracefully might add. My heart says that's enough to prove yourself."

Frederick looked down at Chrom. "And what about your mind, milord? Will you not listen to it as well?"

"Frederick, the Shepherds can use someone with DeNile's talents, she's a fine woman. We have brigands and viscious neighbours, all looking to stain our land with blood. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician?" Chrom sheathed his blade, stretching his arm. "Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be. And who am I to turn down a lady in need?"

DeNile smiled, a faint blush emerging on his cheeks. "Thank you, Chrom..."

"So how about it? Do you wish to join us, DeNile?"

DeNile bit his lip, contemplating his options. _I can join them and probably live a decent life, or decline and die within a week... _He smiled, glad. "Of course I will."

A few minutes later after the townspeople had taken care of the results of the raid, the Shepherds stood outside the church, speaking. "Did any of you notice?" Frederick asked. "The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Plegian?" DeNile turned to Frederick. "I'm assuming that's the neighboring kingdom you three were speaking of earlier... What exactly does a Plegian accent sound like?"

Lissa decided to answer. "Well, for starters, if varies by gender. For males, they raise their voice with every other syllable. For girls, it's kinda the opposite, their voice trailing off as the sentence ends."

Chrom groaned. "Plegians are insufferable. They send small bands of men to attack our borders, hoping to instigate a war."

"And it's the poor townspeople who suffer!" Lissa cried, pouting.

"They do have us, milady. Shepherds to protect the sheep. Don't be swept up in anger, it'll cloud your anger."

Lissa sighed, crossing her arms. "I know, I know. I'll get used to it eventually..."

All of the sudden, one of the townspeople, a man with a goatee, approached. "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple ways, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

Frederick grinned, but shook his head. "A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand... But I'm afraid we must hurry back to Yllistol."

Lissa gasped, upset. "Wait, what?! We're not staying?! But Freddy, it's nearly dark!"

"When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned that you would get used to this?" Frederick chuckled, enjoying Lissa's misery.

"Freddy? Sometimes I hate you."

DeNile spoke, putting his arms behind his back and kicking his legs at the dirt. "You've got a pretty stern lieutenant there."

Lissa leaned on her staff, slouching. "Stern is an understatement, I can think of better words for it..."

Chrom spoke, grinning. "Frederick only smiles when he's about to fell an enemy."

Frederick cleared his throat, turning around. "I'm still present, milord."

"Oh, we realize."

DeNile smiled a little, finding it kind of funny. "Amusing as always, milord. Now then, shall we be going?"

"Right," Chrom turned to DeNile. "Ready to go, DeNile? The capital isn't far."

DeNile nodded, triggering to small group to begin walking. You know... Maybe this won't be so bad... Although, DeNile sighed, they really do need to realize that I'm a boy...

**And so ends chapter 2. As I said, I've changed a few things, which will become more obvious as the chapters progress. Enjoy reading, and don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Aaaaand here's chapter 3! To the reviewer who asked, DeNile's spear grew back because... well, magic. Yes, magic... *cough* Don't forget to enjoy this chapter and review, everyone!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Risen<p>

Nightfall in the forest was not an easy one, especially for Lissa. She hastily swatted at the air, hitting the bugs that surrounded her. "I told you-it's getting dark already!" She whined, frowning. "...Ech! Now the stupid bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when-" Ugh... Please shut up. Your voice is grating on my ears. "Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey! Disgusting" Thanks, bugs. I am forever in your debt.

"Aw, come on now, Lissa," Chrom said. "Hardship builds character. Wanna help me gather firewood?" He asked.

"Ugh, I think I swallowed it. I'll pass on the firewood thing, thank you very much. I've built QUITE enough character for one day!" Lissa brushed the dirt off of her frilly dress, wiping the dirt from her hands on Chrom's shirt.

DeNile spoke up, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes. "Um... We should probably think about food. I'm sorta hungry..."

"Yes, I should think a little hunting and gathering is in order. Who wants to clear a campsite?"

After a campsite was built, complete with tents and a fire, the band sat down to eat something that Frederick had captured.

"Mmm..." Chrom's mouth watered as he devoured his meal. "It's been too long since I last had bear meat. Delicious! Hey, Lissa, you might want to eat. You have to keep your strength up."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Pass! Gods, couldn't you spear us an animal NORMAL people eat for once, Freddy? Like a deer, or a big bird or something... I mean, who eats bear!? You're screwing up the food chain. Right, DeNile?"

DeNile sat with his hands to his mouth, eating something. When he moved his hands, his mouth was smeared in blue. "Oh? Oh... I think I'm a vegetarian. I remember eating a chicken once and vomiting," he said in his normal quiet and timid tone. "I'm eating some blue berries that I found. I don't think they're poisonous, since they taste pretty good..."

Chrom smiled, finishing his bear. "Just eat it, Lissa. Meat is meat."

"Since when does meat smell like old boots!? Wait, no, I take that back- BOOTS SMELL

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don't enjoy."

Lissa put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "Really? Then why don't I see YOU eating, Frederick?" You're extremely prissy. Lighten up, Lissa.

Frederick laughed awkwardly, not sure what to say. "Well... I'm just not hungry. I had a big lunch! Yes, quite."

"Yeah right! You don't eat bear, do y-YAHHH!" Lissa screamed, falling off of the log she was sitting on.

Frederick looked up, concern. "Milady? What is wrong?"

"BEHIND DENILE!"

"Hm?" DeNile looked behind himself and spotted a fairly small bat, flapping its wings next to him. "Aaaw, it's cute."

"CUTE!? THAT THING IS THE SPAWN OF GRIMA."

DeNile looked closely at it and outstretched his hand, the bat landing on it. "Hmmm... It's a female. A hybrid between a fruit bat and a vampire bat," the bat opened her mouth, yawning. "Vegetarian like me. By the looks of it, it's also... Poisonous. I can't recall any poisonous bat species... I like her."

Frederick grabbed his lance. "Well, I've found my dinner."

DeNile squeaked, scooting away from Frederick. "N-no! You can't kill her, she's just a baby! And did you not hear me say she was poisonous!?"

Lissa sat up straight, shuddering. "If Freddy's not going to eat it, the let it go. I don't want that thing anywhere near me..."

DeNile frowned, upset. "Aaaaw... I was thinking of maybe keeping her. A b-baby bat might be a good pet..."

Chrom stood, stretching. "Well actually, Wyverns, which are usually trained in armies, aren't too far from bats. Actually, I believe that they're actually closely related. I don't see why you couldn't keep it. Maybe we could get some of our beast tamers to train her."

DeNile's frown instantly vanished, his face seeming to glow. "Really? Th-thank you!" DeNile let the bat crawl all over him, sniffing him. "What should I name you... Hm... How about... Bianca?" The bat let out a cry, not seeming to affect DeNile, but hurting the other three's ears.

"Yes, yes..." Chrom said, laying down. "You just make sure it doesn't fly off or bite any of us while we sleep..."

Bianca flew to a nearby tree and attached her feet, covering herself in her wings and closing her eyes. "Sure thing..." DeNile laid down and yawned, his eyes fluttering shut.

Of course, they couldn't ALL sleep at one time. There were dangers all around, especially in the forest. While Frederick, Lissa, and DeNile slept, Chrom was on watch, a bit tired. He heard a bit of a rumble, which caught his attention. "Huh?" He stood on two feet, causing a half awake Lissa to do the same.

"*Yawn*... What's up, Chrom? Is something wrong?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

Chrom looked around for a bit, wondering if anything was out of the ordinary. "I didn't mean to wake you, but... Something feels wrong."

"Define 'something'."

Chrom sighed. "I'm not too sure... I'm going to have a look around."

"Not alone, that's for sure. I'm coming, too."

Chrom smiled, grateful of his sister. "Thanks, Lissa."

The two walked into the forest until they came across a seemingly empty field, filled with silence. "It sure is dark... And quiet. Where'd all the birds go?"

"Something is wrong here..." As Chrom finished his sentence, the ground shook, almost causing Lissa to fall off of her feet, crying out. "Gods, what- Agh! What is this madness?! Lissa, stay close!"

One by one, the trees began to fall. Chrom pulled Lissa in close, preventing her from shaking too much. "Lissa, run."

Lissa raised her head, looking at her older brother. "I mean it, go!" Chrom let go of her, triggering her to begin to sprint away. The two of them began to run as the ground split lava spewing from the crevice and fireballs raining down.

"This way!" Chrom and Lissa sharply turned to the left, avoiding a fireball. They jumped over a crevice, which one half of fell, causing them to fall a bit. For now, they were out of the field, and out of harms way.

As Lissa panted, she spotted something in the air and pointed at it in shock. "Chrom, what is that?"

A black hole like object appeared in the sky, warriors with dead skin and glowing red eyes pouring out of it, falling to the ground. As they stood, Chrom drew his blade, ready to fight. "Lissa, you'd better stand back. Things might get messy."

One of the warriors groaned, a black mist coming from his mouth. He then ran at Chrom with intent to kill, ax in hand. Chrom slashed, his blade going through the monster's torso. When he realized that it wasn't dead, he turned around as he saw it turn its head. It swung its ax against Chrom's sword. Chrom used the flat end to push the monster onto its stomach, running up a tree.

When the monster attempted to rise, Chrom struck from above, stabbing it in the back and causing it to burst into dust. What alerted him was the cry of his sister in distress. "Lissa!"

Lissa was backed up against a tree, her staff to her chest. As the monster raised its ax, she spotted someone running out of the portal from above, bearing a steel mask. He jumped high, landing hard against the floor.

As the monster swung down its ax, the blade was blocked by another, this time from the other boys' sword. Chrom stopped in his tracks, curious where he came from.

Lissa timidly looked up, gasping when she saw the boy, who turned his head to look at Chrom. "Help!"

Chrom regained his mentality, running towards the monster. "Right!"

The monster heard Chrom coming towards him and turned around, which was a mistake. The boy using his elbow to spin him around, causing the monster to be trisected by both the blades of him and Chrom, exploding into dust.

Lissa stepped away from the tree as both men sheathed their blades, silent. "Quite an entrance..." Chrom said, impressed. "What's your name?" The boy simply turned around, silent.

Frederick come riding in on his horse, wielding his lance. DeNile followed closely behind, Bianca on his shoulder. "Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?"

"Frederick! DeNile!" Lissa cried out as the area around them combusted into flames, the monsters surrounding them.

DeNile spotted the monsters, his body instantly minimizing as he was overtaken by fear. "Wh-what are those things?!"

"They're not from Ylisse, I promise you that," said Chrom.

After looking around for a while, Frederick deduced that everyone was okay. "No one is injured, then? Thank the gods..."

Lissa smiled happily. "Thank the masked man who saved me! If it wasn't for him, I'd be- wait what where'd he go?"

Frederick readied his lance, raising his arm. "We can worry about him later... AFTER we put these... things.. to the blade. Keep your eyes sharp, we don't know anything about this enemy.

"Right," Chrom said, unsheathing his blade.

First move was made by one of the monsters, who rushed at DeNile with his sword. DeNile panicked, reaching for his tome. Thankfully, Bianca flew at the risen and bit its neck, causing it to explode into dust. "Bianca?" The bat opens its mouth to show the black venom dripping down its fangs. Her venom must be HIGHLY toxic to the monsters, something that DeNile made note of.

The silver haired boy reached in his pocket and pulled out a tome, this time flipping to a different page than the one he usually used. "_Vanitas_ _aurum_!" Several snowballs surround an enemy and swiftly encased him, black dust emerging from the holes in the snow. I need some practice with my spear... This probably isn't the time to be thinking about my skill, but... Not wanting to dwell too much, he put his tome back in his pocket and unstrapped his spear, instantly piercing an archer.

"Captain Chrom, I'm here!" Said a cavalier that rode into the area. Her short cut red hair bounced with every breath she took, her scarlet eyes gleaming. "Agh, damn it. I knew I shouldn'ta left 'em. Alrighty you fucking weird ash faced shit heads! Which one of you wants my lance shoved up your dickhole first!?"

Her vulgar monologue was stopped by an elegant male voice, coming from a man with long blue hair, wielding a bow. "Hold, milady!"

"Eh?" She turned around and spotted him, raising an eyebrow.

"Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting! Would you leave me in your sweet dust, fair maiden?" The man said, hand on his chest. "Leave war to the warriors, dear lovely dove! A beauty such as you need wage only love."

Sully squinted, looking confused and upset. "Who the FUCK is this jackass!?" She asked, slouching on her horse.

"Aha! Is the maiden intrigued? Of course she is, it is only natural upon laying eyes upon me. I am myth and legend, he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the 'arch' in 'archer'! My dear lady, my name is Vi-"

"Listen, prude. I don't really have any time to waste, got it? Onward!"

"Virion! ...Er, my name's Virion... W-wait! Where are you going? At LEAST tell me your name!"

"The name's Sully. Now go make yourself useful and shoot some of those arrows of yours," Sully rode off, spearing some monsters on the way. Virion on the other hand frowned, aiming an arrow and firing it into the skull of an enemy, causing it to explode in a puff of smoke.

Frederick hoisted Lissa onto the back of his steed, decapitating one of the monsters that was swinging at her. Chrom ran in quickly in order to stab one through the chest, but once his blade was out of the smoke, it was knocked out of his hand by a stray hand axe, which came back to its owner.

Chrom was forced to dodge several swings, some connecting with his armor. "Virion!"

"Oh?" Virion looked down to the sword next to him, instantly understanding Chrom's idea. He hesitantly put the sword in his bow, it being surprisingly light. He let go of the string, sending the sword flying towards Chrom.

Chrom grabbed the hilt of his sword, the force causing him to spin in the air, kicking the monster in the face. While the monster was falling, Chrom landed and kneed it in the neck as it was falling, killing it.

DeNile, who was many metres away from the rest of the band, was surrounded by a horde of the monsters. Okay... Keep calm. Just chill out, okay? You'll be fine... Although, you do have to do one thing... His eyes snapped open, filled with rage. Fight!

He ran towards a large group of the risen, spear in hand. One swift movement of the arm, he took out a few of them. However, he was the overwhelmed by them when a large group trample him, knocking him to the floor.

He was almost a gonner until the entire horde was blown back, DeNile in the center, his spear emanating a blue aura. "Huh!? W-wait, what!?" He didn't feel his tome in his pocket anymore, it had vanished! "What is this!?"

The boy did not have time to wonder, however. As he was once again being closed in on, he leaned back on his heels and swung his hammer 360 degrees several times, the weight of it keeping him from falling. Once he was free and witnessed Sully's spear pierce the mask; and face, of the largest and final Risen, he stood up straight.

"Wuh...?" Out of no where, his hammer contracted into a spiked bracelet, latching onto his wrist. "Yah!" What!? What the hell just happened? Oh no... Okay DeNile, calm down. Just hope they won't notice and don't tell them anything. He approached the rest of them, shaking.

"Is everyone unharmed?" Frederick asked.

Lissa examined everyone, healing a few cuts and scrapes. "From the looks of it, everyone's good."

Sully circled DeNile, causing him to hug himself and shudder. "...What's your name, little lady?"

Her, too? Am I really THAT feminine? "This is DeNile, the new Shepherd tactician." Chrom smiled, remembering yesterday morning as the sun began to rise. "We met her yesterday. From what she's shown, she can handle herself well. She has this rare snow tome and a- DeNile, where'd you spear go?"

DeNile bit his lip, not knowing what to say. "W-well..." After telling them what happened, they all seemed pretty amazed.

"Wow!" Sully exclaimed, smirking. "Impressive for such a fuckin' girly girl. Although you don't really have any boobs, so you're okay in my book!" Sully patted DeNile's back, causing his cheeks to go rosy.

Out through the woods approached the masked man from before, sheathing his sword. "It seems all of the creatures are vanquished. This young man took care of the others," Frederick said.

Lissa rocked back and forth, smiling. "Hiya! I never got to thank you before, so thanks! You were super brave!"

Chrom smiles, feeling gratitude towards the man. "You saved my sister's life, thank you, sir. My name is Chrom, might I ask yours?"

"You may call me Marth."

"Hm?" Chrom tilted his head, confused. "Marth? After the hero king himself? Well, you certainly fight like a hero. Where'd you learn your way with a sword?"

"I am not here to talk about me," the man said, surprising Chrom. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight what just a preview of what's to come. You have been warned." With the end of his sentence, the man walked away, disappearing into the forest.

"Huh? Hey, wait!" Lissa cried out, eager to know more.

"That man is not much for conversation, is he?" Virion said, testing his bow string.

Frederick shook his head, agreeing with the blue haired gentleman. "It appears his skills lie elsewhere. Although, I would not be shocked if we hear his name again... But for now I am more concerned about getting to the capital. We should make haste. Sully, you came from there to meet up with us. How are things?"

Sully shrugged, not really caring. "It's all good. Emmeryn's fine, so are the rest of the Shepherds," she answered.

"Perfect!" Chrom said. "Well then, let's be going!"

Sully and Virion had gone straight to the Shepherds garrison upon arrival in Ylisstol, leaving DeNile with Frederick, Chrom, and Lissa. However, the boy was amazed at how big the capital was, the street filled with people. "W-wow! I've never seen so many people before! At least... I-I think I haven't..."

"It appears that it was spared from the chaos, thank the gods. It must have been limited to the forest." Frederick smiled, glad no one was harmed.

Lissa also seemed to be glad, bouncing with every step she took. "Well, that's a relief! I'd HATE for anyone to get hurt!"

"Look, the exalt has come to see us!" Cried an old villager, pointing to the blonde haired woman walking in between armed guards.

DeNile tilted his head, looking at the women. "So... That's the exalt?"

Frederick nodded, answering DeNile's question. "Yes, that's Lady Emmeryn."

"Hm... I'm not exactly sure it's safe for her to walk among commoners..." DeNile bit his thumbnail, a bit concerned. "W-wouldn't that make assassination a high possibility?"

"The exalt is a symbol of peace, Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. The first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace that we fought for all those years ago!" Frederick explained, smiling the entire time.

"With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her. She's a calming presence when some others might call for war, she prefers peace," Chrom smiled, eyes locked on the exalt.

Lissa giggled, grinning. "She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!"

DeNile nodded, agreeing. "Mhm. I'd bet she'd be- wait... she's your... sister?" Lissa nodded. "So then... you and Chrom are..."

Frederick finished the sentence for him, thinking that he talked too slow. "The prince and princess of the realm, indeed. You remembered Chrom's name yet not his high position?"

DeNile stuttered, Bianca also tilting her head on his shoulder. "B-but... You said you were shepherds..."

"We are," Chrom said. "In a manner of speaking. We're royalty, just with a LOT of sheep.

I've been traveling with royalty!? "Oh... well, I'm sorry for my dream dreadful manners." Chrom simply shrugged it off, not really caring. "So that explains why Frederick tolerates all of teasing, right?"

Frederick nodded, closing his eyes and sighing. "Indeed. I make many sacrifices for the good of the realm."

Chrom watched his older sister walk through the crowd. "It looks like Emm is returning to her palace. We'd love to bring you, DeNile, but the realm has strict rules about who can enter the palace, even if the exalt herself makes a pardon."

Though a bit disappointed, DeNile nodded, understanding. "It's fine, I understand."

"Here." Chrom handed him a sack of gold. "Use that to buy yourself some things while we're gone, we'll meet you here when we're done." And with that note, Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa left.

"Okay, Bianca. Let's go do... Stuff."

First thing's first, food that Bianca would like. DeNile approached a fruit stand and put Bianca on his finger and held her out to several containers of various fruits and vegetables. She seemed to take a liking to apples, taking a bite out of the first one she saw.

The boy bought several foods for her, spending most of his gold. "Okay, so we have about forty gold now..." Bianca quietly shrieked, resulting in DeNile's smile. "Yeah, that's good enough for you, girl. Now, I'd hate to not use Chrom's money to the fullest, that'd seem like a waste... What can I spend this on?"

"Well..."

"EEP!" DeNile hugged himself, Bianca flapping her wings in fear. He turned around to meet a tall woman with white hair pulled back into a ponytail and unique red eyes, smiling down at him.

"I found this pretty hair band that's only 50 gold. It'll look good a pretty young lady such as yourself." She smiled and handed him a light blue hairband, a friendly aura surrounding her.

DeNile blushed, shifting his feet back and forth. "Why thank you, miss... b-but... I don't have an extra ten gold..."

"Why that's fine!" The women said, taking ten gold out of her breast pocket.

"H-huh?" DeNile looked up, shaking his head. "N-no! I can't take your money, miss..."

"Oh come on, sweetie," the lady pressed her gold into DeNile's hand, patting his palm. "It's only ten gold."

DeNile hesitantly paid for the band, bowing in front of the lady. "Thank you very much, ma'am..."

"No problem! Here, let me put it in for you." That... Suggestive comment made DeNile blush, standing up straight and turning around. Phila pulled out his existing brown hair band, his long, flowing hair letting loose.

DeNile's face grew even more red as he heard several whistles from the men passing by, apparently finding him pretty. "Heh. Looks like you have some admirers there, sweetie," Phila said as she put the hair band on DeNile, making sure his hair kept tidy. "So, what's your name, sweetie?"

She says "sweetie" a lot... "It's D-DeNile, miss..." Then again, I keep calling her "miss". I'm just being polite, I guess...

"DeNile? That's an odd name, but a pretty one!" The woman smiled, spinning him around to get a good look at his face. "A pretty name for a pretty lady! I'm Phila, head of the Pegasus Knights of Ylisse!"

"Huh? You're the head of the Pegasus knights?" DeNile smiled, finally having someway to relate to someone. "That's pretty cool... I'm the head Tactician of the Shepherds."

Phila gasped, putting a hand on DeNile's head for some reason. "Oh! You're Chrom's friend, right? He told me to go check on you while he were on the way to the palace."

So he thinks I can't handle myself... Wait. Stop being so pessimistic! "Yeah. He said to look for a pretty short girl with white hair... Not sure how I missed your hair."

And he thinks I'm pretty. Great. "Well, I'm fine, so..."

"Mhm! Nice bat, by the way, she's cute. Anyway, they're probably done with their little meeting with Emmeryn now, so I've got to get back," Phila began walking away, turning back to wave goodbye. "See ya!"

"B-bye!" DeNile smiled, waving. "Hey, Bianca, I made a new friend!"

A few minutes after Phila left, Lissa came bouncing towards DeNile, a smile her face. "Come on, DeNile! There's a place that I want to show you!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him away, a confused look on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Shepherds

DeNile and Lissa came rushing in to a fairly large building, filled with tables and books and tomes and what-not. "Here we are! The Shepherds' garrison. Go on, girl, make yourself at home!"

DeNile sat down on a bench, twiddling his thumbs. "Lissa! My darling, are you all right? I've been on pins and needles worrying about you!" An elegant voice called.

"Hm?" Lissa turned around and spotted a fair maiden, three large curls in her blonde hair. "Oh hey Maribelle."

" 'Oh hey' yourself!" Maribelle stomped one foot, gripping her parasol tightly. "I've sprouted over fourteen gray hairs fretting over you!"

Lissa simply laughed, swaying side to side. "Aaaw, you worry too much, it's adorable! I can handle a battle or two! Although I COULD live perfectly without the bugs and eating bear..."

The high pitched voice was replaced by a manly one, coming from a man with pulled back black hair. "Hey squirt! Where's Chrom, huh? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty ax!"

Lissa out a hand on her hip, pursing her lips. "So you're calling yourself 'Teach' now, Vaike. That seems... Dumb. I thought people were just born stupid, I didn't know it could be taught."

"Never doubt the Vaike! Wait, was that an insult?"

Lissa laughed, then looking to DeNile. "So, DeNile! This is my girlfriend Maribelle, and my... 'friend' Vaike."

Vaike looked to DeNile and raised an eyebrow, sitting down next to him and putting an arm over his solider. "You heard her, the name's Vaike. But you can call me Teach, babe..."

"I-um..." DeNile blushed, tears filling his eyes from embarrassment. Sensing his unhappiness, Bianca flew from his shoulder and attacked Vaike, scratching him all over.

Over the screams of the blonde man, a brunette girl approached, looking nervous. "So... When's Chrom coming back?"

Maribelle shook her head, closing her eyes and sighing. "Tsk tsk tsk, poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern. Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."

But you seemed pretty worried about Lissa earlier... "Aw, Sumia! That's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom like that!" Lissa said.

"Hm?" Sumia tilted her head. "I was only concerned... He's our captain AND prince, of course I'd worry..."

Lissa piped up. "Oh! Sumia, this is DeNile, our new head tactician. Say hi, DeNile!"

DeNile stood from his bench as Bianca flew back up to him, settling on his shoulder. "Hi..."

Maribelle shrieked, hiding behind Lissa. "What is that hideous creature?!"

"Well that wasn't very nice, Mari-"

"Not the girl, darling! That flying rodent!" Maribelle pointed to Bianca, who glared at her as much as a bat could.

DeNile tilted his head downwards and smiled at his little friend. "This is Bianca... I've told her not to attack anyone I don't tell her to, so you should be fine."

Maribelle scowled, glaring at DeNile. "Ugh! I was HOPING our new head Tactician had a sense of dignity! Keeping a filthy animal next to her face! Hmph!" Maribelle stormed away, chest pushed outward like a "lady".

DeNile frowned, Bianca making him smile again with a lick of the cheek. "I don't understand what you see in her, Lissa..." Sumia said, biting her lip.

"Hey! For starters, we've been best friends since we were babies, and she's like, SUPER pretty. If you swung that way, you might like her, DeNile!" Lissa suddenly realized something and titled her head, crossing her arms. "Sorry if this is a bit personal, DeNile, but what's your sexual preference?"

DeNile blushed, putting his arms behind his back. _Well, I've fully embraced my "cross dressing", so... "I dunno..."_

Before Lissa could reply, Chrom entered, looking as in charge as usual. "Ah! Why hello, Captain!" Walking toward him, Sumia tripped over nothing, landing flat on her face and getting up immediately.

Chrom sighed as Sumia dusted herself off, laughing nervously. "Your boots, right?"

Sumia sighed, dusting herself off. "Yes... No... Maybe... Ok yeah."

Chrom smirked, shaking his head. "Alright, listen everyone. In the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."

Sully titled her head, scratching it. "Regna Ferox? Where the fuck is that place? I've sure as hell never heard of it."

Sumia turned to woman and explained. "It's a unified kingdom to Ylisse's north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said. "

"Warriors are what they are, and we're going to need their strength to quell this new menace. It's voluntary, so-"

Lissa raised her hand, bouncing. "I volunteer!"

"Me, too! You'll need a strong man if this mission is going to be nothing but ladies!... And Chrom," Vaike said, sticking his tongue again.

"Well, I'd go, but I'm not sure I'm prepared for a proper mission, I'd probably just get in the way." Sumia shrugged, looking down.

"Well you could stay behind the main group. If a battle is met, you could just watch. Your choice, although some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."

"If you think it wise, captain."

The doors to the garrison then burst open, Virion and someone else arriving. "Woo wee! This place sure is big! I ain't never seen nothin' like it!"

"Hm? Virion, who is this?" Chrom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Virion sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, while going hunting for training, I came across a village overrun with risen. This boy fought courageously, and wanted to join the Shepherds. I must say, he's a brave fellow. He left his mother to join us..."

Chrom smiled, clearly happy that such a young boy took interest in his army. "Well, what's your name?"

The boy tilted the pot on his head backwards, revealing more of his brown hair. "Well they call me Donny, sir! Although, was born to the name Donnel, given to me by my ma!" The boy seemed to have an optimistic aura towards him.

"Well, allow us to introduce ourselves. You may already know Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa, yes?" Donny nodded. "Well... This is Sumia! That's Sully, be careful to not get on her bad side. You must already know Virion. That's Vaike... Watch out for him, too. And that's DeNile, our head Tactician! She's a smart one."

DeNile sat on the bench, looking down and twiddling his thumbs again. "Hm?" Donny got a single glance at DeNile, then looked back at Chrom. "Uh... Sorry sir, I'd hate to correct you, but that ain't no wo-"

"Oh! Chrom!" _Wait, what!? Was he about to say "that ain't no woman"? Oh my... Someone actually knows I'm a boy!_ Maribelle came walking into the room and immediately grabbed Lissa's hand. "Dinner is ready, darling. You have to keep your strength up."

Chrom nodded. "Right. Let's head to the mess hall, everyone."

DeNile sat alone during lunch, everyone sitting with eachother. Lissa and Maribelle were sitting alone next to eachother. Chrom, Sumia, and Virion were all sitting at one table, talking about gods know what. Meanwhile, Sully, Donny, and Vaike were sitting at a table, probably speaking of something barbaric.

DeNile sighed, taking a grape and popping it into his mouth. _It's sort of funny that one of the highest rankings the Shepherds has no one speaking to him... And since Bianca's with all the other animals, I can't even talk to her..._ "Eep!" DeNile shrieked as he felt the air around him change, someone clearly sitting close to him.

"So, I can't seem to find for the life of me why every fella around here thinks you're a gal. Any reason why?" Donnel said, leaning on his arm.

"I-Um..." DeNile stuttered, blushing since Donny was a bit too close for comfort.

Donny raised his eyebrow, gasping in realization. "Oooh. Ah can see now! Yer voice is feminine, ya got a ponytail, yer facial structure is more female, and yer, hm... personality, isn't exactly masculine..."

"I...know... So, h-how could you tell I'm a guy?"

Donny put a finger on his chin. "Well fer starters, ya don't exactly got any chest. Second, we gots lots of people like you back at the village, so its kinda become a necessity to learn that kinda stuff."

"Now I'm a' be honest, if I didn't know you were a boy, shucks, I probably would've fallen in love with you! You're an um... Pretty fella."

DeNile's face turned red, not knowing what to say. "Th-th...thank you..."

"So... Whaddya prefer? Should I call you a guy or a gal?"

DeNile bit his thumbnail, thinking for a moment. "Well... I've kind of become used to being referred to as a girl, so it'd be kind of weird to be called a boy all of the sudden..."

"Got it! So, what about that bat of yours?"

* * *

><p>Right outside of Ylisstol, the Shepherds that had volunteered were standing in a lush, grassy field, all gathered around Chrom. "Alright, is everyone prepared? We've got a long march ahead of us."<p>

"Chrom! Wait!" A man in green armored with ruffled brown hair ran up, leaning on his knees to pant.

"Oh, Stahl. I didn't know you were coming!" Chrom said, pursing his lips.

Stahl sighed, looking more mad than disappointed. "Why am I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox!?"

Lissa tilted her head. "But... Vaike was supposed to... Oh my gods. Vaike. Did you forget to tell Stahl?"

"The Vaike never forgets! He... Just doesn't always remember, that's it." Vaike awkwardly scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"Vaike, you'd forget your own name if you weren't always saying it. Speaking of forgetting... Did you bring your ax?" Lissa scowled, baring her teeth.

Vaike scoffed, smiling. "Why of course I did!... Anyway, good to see ya, Stahl."

Stahl sighed, biting the inside of his cheek. "That makes one of us. I had to miss breakfast... There were muffins and bacon and stuff..." He noticed DeNile and looked at him, squinting. "Who's she?"

DeNile looked down and kicked at the dirt shyly. "I'm DeNile... The new head Tactician..."

Stahl sighed, looking agitated. "Of course... Miriel told me we had a new Shepherd... One of high status. She's one of our mages if you didn't know. She'll be here soon. And should I even ask about the bat on your head?"

"No." Sully answered for him.

"Gods..." Chrom spotted a horde of monsters ahead of them, all looking very viscous. "Have the risen spread this far?"

Donnel tilted his head, holding his spear. "Risen?"

Frederick got on his steed, grasping his lance. "We needed a name for these abominations, so the council have them one. They seem to be fallen warriors back from the dead, so we dubbed them 'risen'."

"Everyone remember what we're up against!" Chrom drew his blade and took a fighting stance.

"HA! They'll remember ME one I swing ol' Vaikenator into their- oh gods where'd it go?"

DeNile decided to take initiative for once, speaking when he was not spoken to. "Then stay to the back. These things are dangerous..."

DeNile took a deep breath as his bracelet flashed blue, morphing into his spear. The boy wasn't surprised for some reason. Extending his arm, he yelled. "_Vanitus aurum!_" His spell, even without his tome, activated, taking out an enemy. "_Benedicite Glacies!_" The snowflake formed in his hand, forcing it's way through several enemies.

Bianca flew up and dive bombed an enemy, tearing its throat out. Stahl meanwhile, after cutting down a risen, rode his horse over to DeNile. "You know, you're really pretty."

"Keep in position, this is life and death." The boy got over his timid nature for a while during battle, knowing that his actions could cost lives.

Stahl shrugged, stabbing a nearby Risen in the head. "Hey, I'm just trying to be nice and NOT boring. So, DeNile. What kind of a name is that anyway?"

"Stahl."

"Again, it's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"Stahl..." DeNile's face was red at this point as he charged his next flurry.

"Hey, can I see your spear?" Before DeNile could protest, Stahl grabbed his spear and examined it.

"STAHL!" DeNile looked at Stahl, his face boiling red, his fist balled.

Stahl aimed at a Risen and tossed his spear at it, missing. "Well oops."

DeNile screamed in frustration, running towards his spear. "It's a spear, not a javelin!"

In all of the commotion, a robe wearing women entered the battlefield, wielding a tome. "Oh? An ax.. Vaike's, undoubtedly. He must have misplaced it... I'd not thought such dereliction permissible among the Shepherds... However, I'd be remiss to not return this object to its owner. Perhaps a stern word or two of disapprobation will put the hoodlum in his place..."

DeNile, while Miriel handed Vaike his ax and scolded him, ran towards his spear and pulled it out of the ground. He felt a hand jerk his shoulder back, spinning him around. "Gah!" The axe was stopped by a bronze sword, which knocked it out of the Risen's hand. The Risen was then decapitated, exploding into dust.

"Heh heh. You okay?" Stahl asked, offering his hand to pull DeNile up.

DeNile smacked his hand out of the way, standing on his own. "Listen." _Huh?_ DeNile's vision become filtered a light purple, causing Stahl to tilt his head. "Stay out my way, stop hitting on me, do your damn job and fight."

DeNile stormed away, impaling a few risen on the way to a tree. What was that...? His vision had returned to normal, and his heart rate turned back to normal, as it had sped up earlier.

"_Ignis_!" Miriel said, causing the Risen before her to combust due to her fire tome. "Hm. The minds of these perplexing creatures are quite unusual... and capricious."

"Miriel, quit doin' ya fancy smart talk, will ya?" Vaike buried his axe into a Risen skull, killing it. "Lighten up, egghead."

"I assure you that my head is that of a regular human skull, and not an egg."

Meanwhile, Virion fired his arrow at a Risen, hitting it in the neck. Ducking, he dodged a Risen that had lunged itself at him, causing it to roll. Three arrows to the back finished it off. "Captain?"

Chrom sliced through three heads in one swoop, looking back at Virion. "Yes, Virion?"

"Have you noticed that our Tactician seems a little... agitated? I'd hate for her beautiful face to be ruined by blemishes from stress..."

DeNile kicked a Risen in the chest, grunting as it fell to the ground. He then proceeded to beat the Risen to death the side of his spear, yelling with every impact.

"U-um..." Chrom stood still, looking at DeNile. "Well... She seems... fine."

Lissa healed a wound that Sully had gotten on her forehead, then looking to Chrom. "Are you kidding? She seems seriously miffed."

"It's best to let her sort her own problems on her own. It's most likely and internal struggle," Frederick said after allowing a dead Risen to slide off his spear.

"Look on the bright side, bro. At least Donnel seems happy."

Donnel dropped from a tree, spearing a Risen in the head. "Yee haw!" He stabbed his way through a line of them, reaching DeNile. "How ya doin', De?"

"Don't call me that."

"My bad. Ya doin' okay? Ya seem a lil'... upset," Donnel said, leaning on his spear. The Risen were quickly depleting in numbers, so most of the Shepherds became kind of care free.

DeNile jabbed his spear into the throat of an enemy, quickly withdrawing it. "I'm fine..." _That's not going to convince him._ "I'm f-fine, Donny..." His voice changed from grumpy to his usual quiet one, coming off as more natural.

"Alrighty, just don't get too heated, that's no good," Donny speared one of the last Risen as Bianca emptied her venom sac into the boss' neck, causing it to instantly explode into dust, finishing the entire horde off.

Chrom sighed, sheathing his blade. "That's the last of them... We're all okay, right?"

Lissa nodded, examining all of the Shepherds present. "Mhm, we're all fine. I made sure."

Stahl approached DeNile after sending him, Sully, and Frederick's steeds away, putting an arm around him and causing him to blush. "Well, I can surely say that DeNile's fine! She fought strong and hard!"

"...Right..." Chrom looked ahead on the path that they were originally heading. "Let's keep moving, I doubt they'd stray this far up the north road. Miriel, did you make it here okay?"

Miriel nodded, pushing her glasses up. "Great," Frederick said, beginning to continue the trek. "Then we shall move onward."

* * *

><p><strong>And so ends chapter four! Before anyone asks: Yes, DeNile's attitude in this chapter's battle will be explained... not soon at all. Don't forget to review! This is DeNile, signing off!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Enigma

"What's your problem, DeNile? You seem a little down..."

The boy sighed, brushing back his snow white hair. "I-I'm fine, Sully. It's... nothing."

Sully bit her lip, thinking for a while. "...Oh! I understand, it's all good."

"...Huh?" DeNile tilted his head, confused.

Sully patted his back, causing him to hunch over a bit. "You're on your period!"

DeNile's face turned scarlet red. "W-what!?"

Sully ruffled his hair, treating him like a little sister. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. Every girl goes through it! There was this one time where it happened while I was training, and-"

"Sully, leave 'er alone! Look at her, she's more red than a tomato!" Lissa said, gesturing to DeNile's blood-filled face.

"Hey!" Donnel said, pointing to something. "Wouldja look at that!"

Chrom approached the "majestic" creature, looking closely at the pegasus. "It looks injured… Lissa, can you take a look?"

"Hey, I deal with people. I wouldn't know a bruise on a horse from a birthmark.

Chrom sighed, extending his hand. "Come here, girl…" The horse whinnied, raising it's front legs. "WOAH! Take it easy, girl!"

"Um… Captain, can I take a look?" Sumia asked.

As she walked towards the pegasus, she fell flat on her face, her legs arching up. "Oh my gods can you not?" Vaike said, facepalming.

"Sumia, might I just say that your frequent trips and falls are indeed an interesting phenomenon," Miriel spoke, adjusting her glasses.

"Ugh…" Sumia stood, brushing herself off. "I'm fine, thanks for asking…"

"So, you were wanting to take a look at it? I'm not so sure that's a good idea…" Chrom said, questioning Sumia's intentions.

Sumia smiled, going closer to the pegasus. "Alright, calm down there. I'm not gonna hurt you, girl." She outstretched her arm and petted the pegasus, causing Chrom to flinch a little.

Donny turned around to Sully, an eyebrow raised. "How'd she calm it so quickly?" He asked.

"Beats me," Sully replied, putting a hand on her hip.

Lissa grinned, amazed. "That's incredible, Sumia!"

Sumia shrugged, looking unimpressed. "It's nothing, I do this all the time, really… Ok, well not all the time. But my family lived in a place with a bunch of these things just flying around and kicking people in the faces…" Sumia patted the animal on the head, causing it to neigh. "You all go on ahead, 'kay?"

"We could make time to wait for you…"

Sumia shrugged. "Nah, it's good, I'm fine. I'll catch up with you."

"Right then. Be safe, Sumia," Chrom signaled for the Shepherds to keep moving forward towards Regna Ferox.

As they moved forward, the terrain became colder, even encountering a snowy fort that lay right outside of Regna Ferox. "Egads... It sure is freezing..." Virion shivered, hugging himself while his teeth chattered.

"So, this is the fortress? Looks puny..." Sully said, smirking.

Chrom looked back at her. "Don't underestimate it, Sully. This is the Longfort. It's the barrier between Regna Ferox and Ylisse. We might run into trouble with border patrol, so stay on your guard."

"The khans of Ferox have become quite cautious of foreigners and travelers. However, we can't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility." Frederick looked up at the fort, which was about fifteen metres high. "This simply calls for a bit of diplomacy."

"Negotiation is not my strong suit, but I'll try my best. Remember, Shepherds, your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse, so don't be stupid."

Lissa spotted several guards preparing weapons and armor, sighing. "The guards are getting ready for a fight, Chrom..."

"What?! Why? We haven't done anything!" Chrom exclaimed, confused.

"I dunno, but they look ready to tussle any moment now, Captain," Donny adjusted his pot/hat, sighing. "We best be gettin' ready."

"Right…" Frederick signaled for the three horses to arrive and be mounted by their owners, ready to run.

"Miriel?" Chrom said, looking to Miriel.

The women nodded and outstretched her hand. "_Combusta!_" The gate before them was blown back in an explosion.

The Shepherds piled into the interior fort, all ready for combat. A short haired blonde women wearing full armor stood in the center, her soldiers around her. "Halt! Who goes there?!"

Chrom spoke loud and clear, his voice creating a booming echo. "In the name of Ylisse, I seek to speak with the Khans!"

"Not another step! I've got plenty of lancers who are fully prepared to pierce your meek body!" She said, angry.

"Milady! We are not your enemy!" Frederick pleaded, attempting to reconcile with the captain.

"No! My duty is to keep brigands out of Ferox!"

"Brigands? Now, you see, milady-"

"You think you are the first 'Ylisseans' to attempt to infiltrate our border?! I have the authority to cut down any intruders I come across!"

Frederick's blood boiled, clearly upset. "How DARE you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, scoundrel!"

"Hah!" The woman scoffed. "And I'm the queen of Valm! I'm no fool. Impersonating royalty is a capital offense! If you claim to be the prince of Ylisse, then prove it on the battlefield! Lancers!"

Chrom turned to the shield part of his armor on his arm as the lancers threw their javelins, the tips spiraling downward.

When Chrom opened his eyes, he was high in the air, riding upon a Pegasus' back. "Sumia...?"

"Hold on tight, Captain. If you fall, I can't be held responsible..." Sumia said with her usual nonchalant attitude, her eyes only half open.

"R-right..." Chrom said, trying not to look down. He spotted the lancers prepared to toss again. "We've got trouble..."

"I've got it. You know what to do..." Sumia swerved on her steed, headed downward fast. Once they were low enough, Chrom dropped from the Pegasus, landing on the top of the fort and rolling off of it, landing on his bottom.

Once he stood, Sumia sat before him. "Bumpy landing, but at least I made it in time."

"Yeah... I would've been turned into a human pincushion. Wait... Is that the same Pegasus that we encountered on the trail?"

Sumia nodded, petting the mane of the Pegasus. "Eyup. Turns out she was probably abandoned by another army, hence the armor."

"Well, I owe my life to you both. Is that Pegasus-"

"CHROM!" They're coming!" Vaike said, gesturing at the approaching enemies.

Chrom drew his blade, prepared to fight. "Let's go!"

DeNile's bracelet sprung to life, his spear in hand. _Haven't fought humans in a while... Since I woke in the field, actually..._ Bianca looked at him for confirmation to go flying, which he nodded to, the bat flying to the top forts.

"Ah, yes. DeNile, right?" Miriel asked, approaching the boy.

"Yes... You're Miriel, right?"

The woman nodded, adjusting her glasses. "I've noticed four odd things about you. One: You're a man posing as a woman, why is that?"

"I dunno..."

"Precisely. Two: Your bracelet transforms into your spear. What kind of magic is that?"

"I dunno..."

"Exactly. Three: You use the fabled ice magic, how'd you learn it?"

"I dunno..."

"Correct. Finally: You use magic without a tome. How?"

"I dunno..."

Miriel flicked DeNile's forehead, leaving a red mark. "O-ow... W-what'd you do that for?"

"You do not know anything, we cannot have that, especially for our tactician. You must be thoroughly educated."

DeNile rubbed his forehead, wiping away the single tear. "H-how do you suggest we do that...?"

"When we return to Yllistol, or set up barracks elsewhere, I will become your teacher. I am fully aware of your amnesia, and will do my best to educate you on this realm." Miriel smiled, looking up at DeNile.

"Okay... but I'd really suggest you'd fight..."

"Right."

DeNile headed the other direction, shoving his spear into an opening through the armor of an enemy soldier. He twisted his hips, tearing the spear out of the armor, resulting in a spew of blood. _Oh… It's been so long since I've seen blood like this. The feeling's soothing, really. Kinda makes me wanna… go to sleep…_

The boy forced his eyes open, shaking his drowsiness away. _I swear, DeNile, If you freakin' fall asleep in the middle of a fight, I will kill you._ He told himself, glancing over to Chrom.

Chrom, as usual, was being the most skilled swordsman that DeNile had ever seen, focusing on his leg strength to push his body outward, cutting down anyone who charged at him. "Frederick, a little help here!" It was, however, clear that Chrom could not handle the enemies all on his own.

Frederick raced over to the prince, spearing an archer that got a bit too close. "I've got you, milord."

Vaike was struggling however, swinging his ax around like a maniac, and only hitting a few strikes. "Woah! You know, maybe I should wear a shirt. Better armor, and the fact that it's FREEZING."

"Well that's your fault, jackass. You don't get to fucking complain." Sully's horse kicked an enemy soldier and in the head, knocking him out. "Oh, and don't get so reckless. If we prevail, I'm not sure that the khan would appreciate us killing a vast amount of their soldiers, kay?"

"Whatever! If we don't, then we'll die anyway, right-" Vaike smashed the flat end of his ax into the armor of a foe, causing the wooden handle to snap. "...Well fuck."

Donny noticed Vaike's little predicament and rushed over to him, spearing the armored foe in the skull. "I'd never thought that I'd be murderin' people for' a livin', but okay…"

The tactician extended his arm, preparing one of his spells. "_Benidictite Glacies!_" The snowflake imploded on an enemy, clearing out all on the ground floor. "We have to make it through the doors on the stairs, let's go!"

Vaike picked up an axe from an enemy and charged at the door with several other Shepherds, using the piece of armor on his shoulder to charge through it. "Ha! Look's like Teach is like a juggernaut!"

On the other side of the battlefield, Frederick's horse kicked down the door, to be greeted with several javelins to its armor. The horse trampled several of the lancers, taking out quite a few of them.

_So far so good…_ DeNile thought, Bianca flying to him. "Bianca, I'm going to need you to stay close. You're fast, but a lot of the weapons they're carrying are big, and I don't want you getting hit by them, okay?" The bat screeched in understanding, snuggling into DeNile's robe.

Chrom extended his blade to block an oncoming drop of the ax, stabbing the enemy through through his chest. "Are you okay, Lissa? Still with us?"

"Man, I hate being a cleric. I seriously need to think of getting a class change…" Lissa said, sighing.

"When we get back to Ylisstol, we'll have plenty of time for that."

Meanwhile, DeNile had been the one putting in the most work, never resting for a second. Every second, he was either piercing someone's skull, or encasing them in ice. _Okay, there are only a few of them left, we should be okay. Unless something goes horribly wrong, we've already w- "_Gyah!" He was pulled back by his ponytail, his neck fully exposed. Within a split second, an iron sword was to it, ready to cut his throat._ OH NO OH NO OH NO NOT GOOD SERIOUSLY NOT GOOD SOMEONE HELP._

To DeNile's dismay, his savior was Stahl, who sliced the head of DeNile's captor in half, leaving only a gurgling jaw. "Woah! Fighting sure is bloody, isn't it?"

Despite the boy's hatred for the man in green armor, he was still polite, swallowing his vendetta. "Thank you…"

"Awww. You voice is really cute, you know. Man, everything about you just makes me want to eat you up!" Stahl smiled, ruffling the shorter boy's hair.

"That's nice, don't let your guard down," DeNile got up and ran towards the nearest enemy, leaving Stahl alone.

Stahl smirked, shaking his head. "Oh well… The knight in shining armor always gets the princess."

It was now down to just the captain of the small army, who fiercely stood her ground. "Let's see if 'Prince Chrom' is really as strong as they say he is!" Raimi gripped her javelin and threw it with all her might, it whizzing through the air much too fast for Chrom to dodge.

"Chrom!" Lissa cried out, knowing what was to come.

_NononononoohjeezwhatdoIdo?_ DeNile panicked, but somehow knew what to say to stop Chrom's demise. "_Congelo!_"

Chrom squeezed his eyes shut and turned away, awaiting his demise. When he felt nothing after a few seconds, he opened one eye and say Raimi's javelin encased in ice, immobile. "...Huh?"

_What did I just do...?_ Before DeNile had time to question anything, he spotted Raimi readying another javelin, this time running towards Chrom. "Chrom!"

Frederick parried the javelin out of Raimi's hand and used the flat end of his lance to hit her in the head, cracking her skull.

Raimi stumbled backwards, clearly disoriented. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she fell backwards and off of the fort, landing in the hard packed snow.

Everyone was panting, clearly exhausted. "It's hard fighting in the freezing cold..." Stahl said, shivering.

"At least we're all okay, right?" Sumia asked, smiling.

Chrom nodded, sheathing his blade. "Yes... Sumia, I need you to fly into Ferox and request the ear of the khans, okay?"

Sum is's Pegasus rapidly flapped its wings, showing signs of excitement. "Alright, Captain. Meanwhile, you guys should head in, too. Looks like I'll be the one going ahead this time." Sumia smiled as she took off, flying into the heart of Ferox.

"Alright... Everyone, let's get going. And Vaike, for the love of Naga, stop by a merchant on the way to get a proper ax. We can't have you unarmed during every battle."

Vaike scoffed, scratching his head. "Hah! Teach is fine! My ax just didn't feel like living anymore!"

The Shepherds descended down the stairs and entered the gate, arriving in Ferox._ Let's just hope they're not mad that we killed one of their generals..._

* * *

><p>Sumia had done her job, every Shepherd that went along on the trip standing in the hall of Castle Ferox, waiting for the khan. "I wonder what the khan could be doing that's taking him so long..."<p>

Chrom shrugged, looking around. "Most likely out training. In Ferox, they don't do politics, they'd rather do battle."

"So they're an entire realm of fighters?" Sully smirked, intrigued. "Sounds pretty badass. Man, I can imagine the hunk now. Big and burly, always carrying a sword, his broad chest all puffed out... My kind of guy..."

"I'm flattered, but I'll pass..."

"Eh?"

A dark skinned woman with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail entered, her eyes scanning the Shepherds. "You're the... khan?" Chrom asked, titling his head.

"One of them, I'm the East Khan. Name's Flavia, sorry 'bout the troubles, Prince Chrom, Ylisseans are always welcome in Ferox.

"Thank you. Now, is it true that bandits masquerading as Ylisseans were attacking your border?"

Flavia groaned, looking away. "Yeah... Friggin' Plegian dogs... We even found documents proving it on the corpse of a captain. Plegia has to see benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours, perhaps wasting resources."

"Damn them..." Chrom muttered. "Sorry, that was indelicately put..."

Flavia scoffed, smoothing back her hair. "Damn them AND damn delicacy. We appreciate plain speech up here in Regna Ferox."

"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards..." Chrom smiled, the Shepherds giggling a bit, save for DeNile of course.

Flavia laughed, grinning. "Now that's what I call Feroxi diplomacy! Yup, I like you already, Prince Chrom. I know why you came already, but I can't give ya any troops for Ylisse."

Lissa's jaw dropped, her emotions raging from confused to angry. "What!? Why not!?"

Flavia shrugged as she sighed. "Can't. I don't have the authority."

Frederick narrowed his eyes. "I do not understand... Aren't you the khan?"

Miriel answered for Flavia, adjusting her glasses. "One of them. In the realm of Regna Ferox, the khans of east and west hold a tournament every give years. The victor gains total control over both kingdoms. That means they have the final day when it comes to forming alliances. The west Khan won the previous tournament, so he gained control."

Flavia smiled and looked at Miriel. "Ay, you're a smart woman. I like ya."

Chrom's shoulders sagged as his expression saddened. "So... we are to receive no help at all?"

Flavia shook her head. "Not entirely true. The next tournament is tomorrow, and I need a few fighters."

Before Chrom can speak, Miriel once again answered everyone's question. "The khans do not fight, they choose fighters. The tournament has never included royalty, however... It is your choice to make, Prince Chrom."

"Well, we're kind of desperate... If fighting for you will allow us to form and alliance, I'm all for it." Chrom nodded, agreeing to Flavia's request.

"Great! I'll arrange for a room in the castle to be prepped for each of you. Get a good night's rest, you'll need your energy," Flavia said, patting Chrom's shoulder. DeNile bit his lip, nervous.

_A tournament? But aren't tournaments usually held with like, brackets and stuff? Isn't this more of a battle royale? No, those are pretty much a free for all... So... This is just another basic fight, right?_ "Hey!"

"EEP!"

"Who's this cutie pie?" Flavia asked, looking down at DeNile.

"I-I-Um..." He stuttered, flustered and embarrassed. "I'm D-DeNile, ma'am..."

Flavia examined him, taking a liking to the boy. "We'll aren't you just the sweetest little thing? From the looks of it, you're the tactician, right?" DeNile nodded, looking down. "Well, I'll be sure to get to know ya. I'm gonna go get your rooms, see ya soon." Flavia exited the room, leaving the Shepherds to scatter to their rooms.

* * *

><p><strong>For future reference, <em>italics <em>are used when someone's using the incantation for a spell, or when DeNile's thinking to himself. You should be able to tell which is which.**


	6. Chapter 6

**And here's chapter six, one of the more fun chapters to write! Although it's a relatively shorter one, It would still mean the world to me if you guys reviewed! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Seeing Double<p>

"DeNile."

"Gyah!" DeNile flailed around, panicking. It was around midnight and he had just began to fall asleep. The sudden voice in the room startled him.

Sitting on his bed before him was Miriel, who had exchanged her robes for plain brown pajamas. "What we discussed before."

"H-huh?" DeNile asked. "Oh yeah, me not knowing anything... Right..."

"Shall we begin?" DeNile nodded. "I'm aware that you were practically just born, not knowing much, so I shall refrain from using complicated words. Now, what would you like to talk about first?"

DeNile bit his thumbnail, thinking for a moment. "...You can decide."

"Very well. Well first, let's educate you on the world itself..."

* * *

><p>"Yeah, DeNile and Miriel are talking about... stuff. Basic knowledge, I guess," said Lissa. She was laying on her stomach and kicking her legs, resting her head in her hands. Before her lay an open tome that way projecting a holographic image of Maribelle, who was also laying on her bed. "What's going on with you?"<p>

Maribelle sighed, looking around her room. "Since most of the Shepherds went with Chrom, I am stuck here with Ricken. He's a sweet kid, just a bit too ambitious... And annoying."

"I could say the same for Stahl. It's been subtle, but he's been acting kinda weird towards DeNile. Like, pervy..."

"Ugh. That troglodyte? You'd think a lady would better carry herself..."

"Lighten up, Mari. She's a sweet girl. Kind of hot, too~" Lissa bit her lip, giggling.

Maribelle grumbled, looking away.

"Oh don't be jealous, Maribelle. You already know that I'd never leave you alone, kay?"

Maribelle smirked a little as she uncurled her hair, letting it fall down to her mid-back. "I know, I know... And I must admit, she is indeed cute. I've never really been into the timid type, however."

Lissa snickers, yawning. "Anyway, I have to head on to bed now. Talk to you soon?"

"Mhm. Goodnight. I love you, Lissa."

Those words were always music to Lissa's ears, causing her face to go red. "Goodnight, Maribelle... I love you, too."

"Bye."

"Bye!" Lissa closed the tome, Maribelle's image fading away. The girl stretched, rubbing her eyes. "Man, we've been doing a lot more fighting than usual. Stupid Plegians, messing up my year. I'm 18, the prime of my life, and it's all ruined thanks to friggin' zombies and-"

"Milady, sleep."

"Son of a-" Lissa looked at her bedroom door, spotting Frederick. "Frederick, knock first."

Frederick bowed, sorry. "Apologies, but milord suggests that everyone gets a good night's rest."

"Yeah yeah, I'm going to bed now." Lissa laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>It was battle day in Castle Ferox, and the Shepherds were all gathered in the arena, waiting for the opposing army. When they did enter, Lissa immediately noticed a familiar face. Well, mask. "Chrom, look!"<p>

Chrom spotted the man that had saved Lissa several nights ago, Marth. "Yeah... I see him, Lissa. He's fighting for the west khan..."

The bell that sounded the beginning of the battle rang, several members of the shepherds and the opposing army rushing at each other. "Marth! Before we begin, may I ask you a question" The man didn't respond, simply walking forward. "Alright then, our blades can speak for us!"

Marth simply drew his blade, which was the exact same as Chrom's. "What!?" Chrom looked at his Falchion, glancing back and forth between the two. "Where did you-"

"Fight." Marth swiftly ran towards Chrom and outstretched his right leg, pulling back his left and causing him to slide between Chrom's leg, Chrom missing his strike. Marth quickly stood and jabbed forward, Chrom blocked the stab with the hilt of his sword and parried Marth backwards, their blades clashing several times.

"So, who taught you how to fight like that?" Chrom spun his sword and extended it, ready to strike.

Marth did the same, lowering his head. "... My father." The two ran at each other, but slid past, coming to a stop at opposite ends of the arena.

Miriel pulled her Elfire time from her robe and looked to DeNile. "Do not forget what we spoke of last night, DeNile." The boy nodded as his bracelet sprung to life, forming his spear.

_Take initiative, don't be a coward, and make sure to make commands. You're the tactician, not just another soldier. You have a special role in this army, so make use of it... _"Okay... Vaike, take the warrior to your left! Stahl, help him out!"

Stahl smirked. "So now you're calling the shots now. Sweet, I love a girl that can-"

"STAHL."

"Okay, okay. I'm on it..." Vaike hit the warrior in his side, breaking several ribs. Stahl raised his lance was prepared to let it fly.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH. HEY, DUDE. THIS ISN'T THAT KIND OF MATCH!" Flavia called from the stands. "No casualties, okay!? A fighter is considered 'dead' when they're not able to fight, okay!?"

Stahl shrugged and hit the man in the side of his head, knocking him out. "Sumia! The archer near Virion!"

Sumia flew over to an archer warily, as Pegasi were very easy targets for archers. Her steed kicked the archer in her head, causing her to crumple to the ground.

_Okay... So far so good.._. "Bianca, Marth is most likely the strongest one on the enemy side. Distract him, make sure he doesn't get to any of our soldiers, okay?"

The bat nodded and flew off, hovering around Marth and causing him to lose his balance. _Alright, that's one threat out of the way... Miriel told me to fight as well as command, so.._. "_Benedictite Glacies!_" Surprisingly, his single shot took out several enemies who decided to bunch together.

"Virion!" Sully called Virion over, the blue haired man having to shoot his way over. "I have an idea. Here."

Virion was handed a sharp, thick, hunting knife with two small, steel rods pointing out of the handle. "Is this to make me puncture my hand, my dearest? I am indeed insulted."

"No, you dumbass. Here," Sully snatched the knife and the bow from Virion and jabbed the two rods into the rubber grip of the the bow, mending the two weapons together. "Miriel told me that it's a smart investment to have more offensive coverage. So when you run out of arrows, you can swing your bow around and stuff."

"Ah. Why thank you, Milady. Allow me to try this new attachment..." At that moment, an enemy troop ran at Virion with a sword, charging at him at full force. Virion swung his bow upward, the knife cutting the opponent's arm and causing him to fall down. "My oh my, I can get used to this..."

"Virion, to your right!"

"Miriel, behind you!"

"Frederick, cover Lissa!"

"Stahl, get back in position!"

The silver haired boy was exhausted, panting_. This is way too hard... I just can't keep track of everything... _He looked up and spotted Marth, still having trouble with Bianca. _I figured he would've just ignored her by this point. Okay, let's go for him. Everyone else is occupied, so..._

He took off with a push of the foot, running at Marth with his spear in hand. Marth spotted him just in time and parried his jab with his sword, a supposed replica of the Falchion. "Surprise attacks aren't very nice!" Marth finally slapped Bianca out of the way, knocking the adorable little bat over to DeNile. "And control your bat..."

"Let out weapons speak for us!" DeNile swung his spear at him, colliding with the Falchion. Another parry lead DeNile to twist his body in the air, his heel catching Marth's jaw. Deciding to keep the flow going, he smashed his spear into his foe's temple. He then placed his hand on Marth's chest. "_Benedictite Glacies!_" The snowflake forced Marth away, flipping him over.

Marth stopped himself from crashing into the wall by stabbing Falchion into the floor, coming to a halt. Once his feet reunited with the ground, he dashed at DeNile and swung his sword, crashing it into the the spear. "You seem quite agile... Tell me, what's your name?"

DeNile stood his ground as the two were in a face off, their weapons against each other. "DeNile... pleased to fight you..."

"So, you're the tactician, huh? I've never fought a tactician before..." Marth smiled, his knees wobbling.

"Mhm. I've never fought someone wearing a mask before..." _Real intimidating. Really._ "Well, that just makes it so that I can't see the fear in your eyes." _That makes up for it._

"Well, I'll gladly tell you that- YAH!" Bianca bit into Marth's hand, causing him to drop his sword.

Seizing the opportunity, DeNile kneed Marth in the face and punched him in the stomach when he rose, knocking him out. "I, Flavia, the East-Khan, declare my army victorious!"

The audience of the battle cheered, some booing. DeNile smiled, his spear returning to his wrist. _Alright, that's one battle well fought…_ Bianca grinned and made herself comfortable inside of his robe, yawning. "You must be tired. Don't worry, you'll get some rest once we start heading back to Ylisstol."

DeNile, Chrom, Frederick and Lissa gathered in the main hall after the audience had left and the opposing army had gotten their wounds treated. Flavia stood before them, unable to keep the smile off of her face. "Well fought, Ylisseans. You surely have my respect, especially your little tactician here," Flavia ruffled DeNile's hair, prompting him to blush. "More importantly, you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers and supplies that she needs to fend off those Plegian scum…"

Chrom smiled, clearly grateful. "Thank you very much, Flavia. We will use them to our best extent."

The Khan scoffed. "I should be thanking you! It's been like, what, three years since I've held full power! I'll tell ya what. I'll be right back, allow me to prepare a feast for us all," Flavia wouldn't take no for an answer. She immediately dashed off into the second floor of the castle, not wasting any time.

Her presence was replaced by a much larger one, a large and burly man entering the room. "Of course. Flavia jumps in for any excuse for a party, that figures."

"Um… My apologies, but have we met?" Chrom asked as he tilted his head. The man made DeNile shrink, his presence terrifying. His eyepatch indicating a brutal fight made the timid boy tremble in his boots.

"I'm the West-Khan that YOU removed from power!" The man looked to DeNile, apparently not taking note of his fear. "You're handy with your skills, lass. I thought for sure I'd picked the stronger fighter…"

"Well, what do you know about him? It's best to know your army."

The West-Khan scratched the back of his head, not exactly knowing what to say. "Marth? He's just some random sell-sword with delusions of grandeur, something like a god complex. All I know is that he showed up a few days ago and knocked my old champion flat on his ass. I thought I'd knew for sure that he'd never be beat, but I was clearly wrong," he sighed, then shaking his head. "He's gone now, fled as soon as the tournament ended." It's not a tournament…

Lissa grinned, swaying back and forth. "He's soo cool…"

Frederick smiled, looking down on the tiny girl. "Well, he's got at least one fan, that's for sure. Don't get too interested, Milady."

"Oh please Frederick, you know I'm not into guys."

"Um, guys? We should probably get going. Emm'll want to hear about the alliance," Chrom suggested. _What about Flavia's party..?_

"Yes, quite. I'll gather the rest of the Shepherds." Frederick exited the room to retrieve Sully, Sumia, and the rest of the small army.

"Hold. Before you go, I have a little gift for your army. I'm sure it'll help your army a lot." Right on cue, a tall, dark haired man entered the room and stood by the Khan's side. "Introducing Lon'qu, Basilio the Magnificent's former champion. He doesn't talk much, seemingly like your tactician, but he's a master of the sword. Hell, as good as Marth. He only lost due to luck." Then why did you replace him?

"Really?" Lissa tilted her head. "But look at him! He looks so strong!" The petite blonde approached the previously silent man, her curiousity peaked.

"Away, woman!" He took several steps back, trembling.

"Hey, what'd I do?" Lissa pouted, crossing her arms.

Basilio laughed, his voice booming throughout the large room. "Let's just say Lon'qu's a bit of a gynephobe... Either way, he's pretty damn strong. He could even possibly be a khan someday. Consider him West Ferox's contribution to Ylisse's army, the equivalent of what the EAST khan gave you."

"Are you certain?" Chrom asked.

Basilio nodded in reassurance. "Yes, yes. He's your soldier now.

"And Lon'qu's has no objections?"

Lon'qu's scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away. "He gives me orders and I stab people. Not too complicated."

"Then welcome to the Shepherds," Chrom offered his hand to shake, Lon'qu simply ignoring it. "R-right..."

The journey back to Ylisstol only took a day, thanks to several wagons that Flavia provided. DeNile had only been in the garrison for a few hours in his life, but if have him a sense of peace. He didn't really have a home, but this was the closest thing to it.

Luckily, the beast tamers had allowed Bianca to sleep in DeNile's bedroom. DeNile didn't see why she wasn't allowed to before, really. After all, she was a small animal. Poisonous, sure, but only to the risen. After further examination, her venom was indeed toxic to humans, but not deadly. It merely got them VERY sick. However, he never questioned how Bianca could understand his commands without any instruction. Possibly she had a previous owner?

DeNile couldn't sleep. Maribelle and Lissa shared a room, so you could imagine that the talking and... Other noises, kept the boy up. Fortunately, this gave him a chance to think, which is something he did a lot do to his semi-muteness. _Well that was a success... Let's go over a list of things that happened today, shall we?_

_Ylisse gained several troops and supplies in preparation for a war that may or may not happen, Maribelle sprouted two more grey hairs, Bianca scared Donny at dinner, and Lon'qu doesn't seem too scared of me..._ The boy yawned, his eyes growing heavy. _And now I'm falling asleep, which is a good thing. Goodnight, world.__  
><em>

The world seemed to fade around him as his brain slowly grew lazy, sleep taking him over...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Intermissions

"Is being in here all the time lonely?"

"What?"

Sully looked over DeNile's shoulder and spotted the thick book he was reading, full of tactics used by previous armies. "You've been here like what, two weeks? And all you ever do if stay cooped up in your room and read. Don't you wanna have some fun?"

DeNile bit his lip and looked at the book, trying to not ignore Sully. "This is fun..."

"I'm talking about going outside and doing something like... Combat training! I mean, look at your arms!" _Please don't touch me... _Sully took one of DeNile's arms and waved it around, his hand flopping around. "A girl's arm shouldn't be the equivalent of a noodle, especially one that's in an army. Don't go soft on me, now."

"W-well..." DeNile's voice grew softer as he spoke, his cheeks becoming rosy. "I'll try... but for now, I'd r-rather stick to reading..."

Sully simply shrugged and stood straight. "Alrighty, but don't be surprised when an enemy taps you and you break like a piece of glass. Although the boys always go after the frail ones, so... There ya go. Anyway, I'm gonna go do some training. See ya later."

"Bye..." DeNile closed his book as Sully left the room, leaning back in his chair. _What to do today... besides study of course. Maybe I'll take Sully's advice and do some training? ... Yeah... Yeah, that's what I'll do._

Within a couple minutes, DeNile was in the archery range. Why? Well...

_This is stupid. It's a spear, not a javelin. It's meant to be jabbed, not thrown..._ DeNile threw his spear at a wooden target and missed, instead hitting a tree behind it.

_Maybe I could ask Virion? _After retrieving his weapon, he slowly made his way behind Virion, who was hitting the bulls eye every time. "V-Virion...?"

The man did not answer, instead firing an arrow through another. "Well that was a waste..."

"Virion...?" Once again, no reply. DeNile's soft voice was much too quiet for Virion to hear, despite only being a few inches in front of him. It was clear that trying again was useless, so the boy used the next best tactic.

DeNile hesitantly and shakily began to reach out to tap Virion on the shoulder. It took a surprisingly long time to reach due to the overwhelming fear. ..._N-no! I can't! _DeNile quickly ran back to where he was standing and trembled, frightened. At this point it was obvious that he didn't like making physical contact with people, yet he wasn't a germaphobe. "Oh... Well, looks like I'll have to do this one on my own..."

"Hi there, sweetie!"

"GYAH!" DeNile dropped his spear and turned on his heel, only to come face to face with the women he met on his first day in Ylisstol. "Ph-ph...Phila?"

"Hey! Long time no see, sweetie! How've ya been?" Phila kept her usual smile, just adding to her cheerful attitude.

"W-well... A few days ago I lead a fight in Regna Ferox to add to Ylisse's army..." The boy awkwardly smiled, showing a few teeth.

"Awesome! I heard about that from Emmeryn. Congrats, sweetie!" Phila patted DeNile's head, causing him to blush. "...Hey... Something on your mind, sweetie?"

"Huh?" DeNile looked up and tilted his head. "W-what do you mean...?"

"C'mon, Sweetie. You can't fool these eyes! I can tell when something's wrong. So, what is it? Self consciousness? Wonderin' bout your past? A boy? Oh! I bet it's a boy."

"Um..."

Phila took DeNile's hand and walked him over to a bench, both of them sitting down. "C'mon, tell ol' mamma Phila about this boy, sweetie."

"W-well..." DeNile twiddled with his thumb and blushed, his throat dry.

"Don't wanna talk? That's fine, sweetie! I'll enlighten ya!" Phila cleared her throat, kicking her feet. "Boys can be jerks. They can also be sweeties. Some are mean, some are kind, but they all want all thing: To make the women in their life happy. Do YOU want to be happy, sweetie?" DeNile simply nodded, shuffling in his seat. "Then make sure to choose the right guy. Okay? You know why?"

"Huh...?"

Phila poked DeNile in his cheek, causing them to become rosy. "Because you're awesome, sweetie. And gorgeous. Hell, you're probably the hottest teenager I've ever seen... Gods, I hope that didn't seem pedophilic. Anyway, seriously! You may be totally flat chested, but besides that, you're beautiful!"

At this point, DeNile's face was burning red. "R-...really?"

"Mhm! Believe me, if I was younger... and a lesbian, you have NO IDEA what I'd do to you." _Ok it just got even more awkward... I'm not exactly sure how to feel about this. I've pretty much already established myself through those sexuality books, thank the gods no one saw me reading them._ "Anyway..." Phila looked up and saw a solider signal for her to come over, which was pretty much telling her to leave. "I've gotta get back to the castle. See ya later, sweetie."

DeNile smiled, once again shuffling in is seat. "B-bye!" Phila exited the archery range, leaving DeNile alone.

"... Let's try this again," DeNile stood and walked over to a target, putting his arm back and taking a deep breath. "... Ok." He let his spear fly, zooming towards the target. Sure enough, it hit the bullseye. "Well, it looks like Phila's good luck!"

"Milady is talking for once?" Virion asked, startling DeNile.

"Y-yeah... I guess I am..."

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><p>Chrom was in the barracks, sitting alone. In front of him was a fairly thick book filled with pictures of what seemed to be royalty, possibly a book of the exalted family. His enjoyment of his little family tree was cut short however, Sumia knocking on the door frame. "Knock knock." She said.<p>

Chrom turned around and smiled, happy to see his friend. "Oh, hello, Sumia. Did you need anything?" Chrom rose and walked towards the clumsy Pegasus knight.

Sumia shook her head, chewing on her tongue randomly. "Nope, but DeNile's looking for ya. She said something about strategy meetings, or something like that."

"Right, right." Chrom snickered, scratching his forehead. "You know, DeNile's only- OH GODS!"

"Woah there, Captain!" Sumia caught Chrom, preventing his from hitting the ground due to his little slip. "You okay?"

"Ugh..." Chrom stood on his feet, sighing. "I'm okay, just tripped on a pebble..."

Sumia awkwardly smiled, kicking away the culprit. "Heh heh. Damn pebble..."

"...You can let go of me now."

"Right!" Sumia put her hands to her side, letting Chrom stand on his own. "... You look tired, Captain. You sure have been working hard lately..."

Chrom simply shrugged, stretching. "I'm fine. All of the Shepherds are tired. Half of us spend our entire day in the training grounds."

"Pft. Seriously, Captain? No need to act all brave and sturdy for my sake. You're prince of Ylisse, you carry twice the burden of everyone. It's only natural you're exhausted."

Chrom smiled, snickering a bit. "That's nice of you to say, but everyone looks to their commander for inspiration and strength. If a leader is weak, then so his army. The moment I lose my strength, we're finished."

"It must be pretty rough leading an entire army..."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Oh, and can you do me a favor and not speak of this conversation to any of the Shepherds...?"

"I won't, trust me." Sumia leaned against the wall, keeping her nonchalant attitude. "You know you're the strongest warrior I've ever met, right?"

"Really?"

"Mhm... By the way, do me a favor and go take a nap, Kay?" Sumia smirked, a gleam in her eye.

Chrom tilted his head in confusion. "But... I can't be late..."

"I'll just tell DeNile that's you've been delayed!"

"And if I go..?"

Sumia's grin turned more manipulative, but in a playful way. "Then everyone will know that the great Captain Chrom was defeated by a simple pebble."

Chrom giggled a bit, smiling. "Sounds like blackmail... Although I suppose I could go for a nap..."

As she exited the room, Sumia wiggles her fingers as a way of saying goodbye. "Then sweet dreams, Captain~"

"... That girl sure can get what she wants..."

_Well, looks like the meeting will have to wait till later..._ DeNile was walking to the beast room where all of the animals in the Shepherds stayed, intent on retrieving Bianca. He passed by Sully and Donnel talking about knights or something, and Vaike and Miriel discussing what math has to do with combat.

The last pair he came across was Lissa and Maribelle, In a very... Awkwardly situation for DeNile. Lissa had Maribelle pinned against the wall, their lips smashing against eachother. DeNile's face turned red as he hastily shuffled ahead, attempting to ignore them. _Well that was awkward... But at the same time, kind of sweet to watch..._

_Those two always seem so very... In love. Will I ever find love?... Eh, probably not. I wouldn't even have time for it. I have to direct an army, and I don't even know much about myself. Besides, what kind of girl would date a guy that cross dressers 24/7? Eh..._

_Oh stop being so pessimistic. You'll fall in love eventually. Maybe not this year, or this DECADE, but eventually. You'll get married, settle down, maybe have kids. Yeah, that'll be nice..._

"State your name and rank."

"EEP!" DeNile bumped into a large, muscular man, startling him. "O-oh... DeNile, Head Tactician."

"Last name."

"I-I don't know..." DeNile put his hand behind his back and swayed side to side, nervous.

The man titled his head, squinting. "Huh..? Oh yeah, heard you have amnesia... Whaddya here for?"

"I-I Um..." DeNile bit his lip shuddering a bit. "Wanted to see my pet, Bianca."

"The bat? Sure." The man stepped aside, clearing a path for DeNile after handing him the keys to Bianca's pen.

Once free, the adorable black bat immediately flying onto the boy's shoulder and squeaking, causing him to giggle. "Come on, Bianca. Let's go get you something delicious to eat."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, this is short chapter. I GUESS you can call it filler, even though I already have 23 chapters prewritten, but this chapter adds a bit of character development for DeNile. And Phila, who's more present in this than the original game for... reasons. Anyway, next chapter will be up on Wednesday. Until then, enjoy yourselves. Signing off.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's a little something special for you, an extra long chapter, with two stories!**

* * *

><p><strong> Enjoy this little treat, my dear readers!<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Dusty Trails &amp; Failed Attempts<p>

The border between Ylisse and Plegia. Plegia was hot and dusty place, so the border was merely a small desert. From what DeNile had been told, Maribelle had apparently been taken by Plegian bandits, and was now being held for a ransom of something called the Fire Emblem...

Lissa was terrified, which was clearly visible. She was shuddering, her entire body shaking as if she had been in an earthquake. When the small group of DeNile, Chrom, Lissa, and DeNile's new friend Emmeryn, arrived to the rendezvous point, they were greeted by two mischievous looking characters.

One was a kinda short, dark skinned woman with white hair and a fairly large bosom. She was dressed in a black and white clothing, donning black stockings and looking very sinister... yet seductive.

The other was a tale man wearing a thin crown and golden armor, a certain smile on his face. You could describe his entire demeanor as... crooked.

The man cackled, putting a hand to his mouth. "Oh, what's this, now? The exalt herself, in all her radiance and elegance? How delightful! I fear I must shield my eyes from such grace! Gyah hah!"

Emmeryn simply sighed, looking calm and collected. "King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between our nations..."

The women giggled, her eyes remaining half closed. "The truth?" She had a certain... seductive tone in her voice. "I can give you the truth, sweetheart."

"Perhaps milady might share her name before speaking? It is impolite."

"You may call me Aversa..."

Emmeryn simply nodded. "Very well, Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?"

King Gangrel tilted his head, squinting one of his eyes. "Who..? Oh yeah, the little blonde bitch..."

"Hey!" Lissa stamped her foot, her face red with anger. Chrom blocked her path by extending his arm and shaking his head.

"Yes yes, she is perfectly fine. Come out!" One of Gangrel's soldiers come out from behind a rock, holding Maribelle's head back by her hair.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" She cried out, struggling to be free of his grasp.

Lissa's muscles tensed up as she bit her tongue, her lip quivering. "Maribelle! Are you okay?"

"Lissa! Darling, believe me, I'm fine. But this barbarian won't be when I'm done with him!" Maribelle kicked at the sand.

Aversa sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "This girl crossed the border without consent. What's even worse is that she wounded the soldiers who only intended to escort her safely back to Ylisse."

"LIES!" Maribelle screamed. "YOU SPEAK NOTHING BUT LIES YOU OLD HAG! COME HERE, I'LL BEAT YOU SILLY WITH A PARASOL, YOU HEAR ME?!"

"So violent... Such a rabid little bunny simply had to be caged," Aversa smirked.

"Such a violent temper speaks to her guilt. This behavior calls for a weighty punishment." Gangrel tapped his chin as he scowled. "It would take an act of CONSIDERABLE good faith to repair our relationship."

"I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD CONFESS. DO I LOOK LIKE THE TYPE A LADY TO ENGAGE IS SUCH MINDLESS VIOLENCE?! THEY INVADED YLISSE! THEY RAVAGED AN ENTIRE VILLAGE! I TRIED TO INTERVENE, BUT THEY SO RUDELY DRAGGED ME ACROSS THE BORDER! LET THE PLUNDERED SHOPS AND CHARRED HOMES OF THAT VILLAGE SIMPLY SHOW YOU THE TRUTH IN MY WORDS!" Maribelle's voice trailed off, her face red with rage.

"Oh tsk tsk. Only thing that that would prove is that Ylisse has a bandit problem, that's all. But indeed, I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your poor, dead villagers."

Maribelle's breathing was unsteady from her yelling, but at least her voice had returned. "Your Grace, please... Do not believe such obvious lies..."

Emmeryn simply closed her eyes and sighed. "Peace, Maribelle. I fully believe you. Please, your majesty, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need for hostages, correct?"

Gangrel blew a raspberry, chuckling. "Without so much as an apology? Nah. Why should I even bother with parley? I can cut her head off and be home in time for dinner if I wanted."

Lissa shoved Chrom's arm away and walked closer to the king. "Don't even try it you black hearted devil!"

"Gasp! Exalt, control your little dog before she bites someone. I'd hate to have to disinfect it. I might have to get checked for rabies... Now that, your Grace. We could always make a trade. You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return the queen of the world here in one piece, deal?"

Emmeryn gritted her teeth. "You would ask for a royal treasure such as that? Why?"

"Because it's shiny. What do you think?! I know the legend! The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes granted, who WOULDN'T want it? My birthday comes and goes each year, and I receive nothing from Ylisse. Quite disrespectful if you ask me."

"The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, king Gangrel: To save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?" Emmeryn asked, her eyes saddened.

"Pft, no, that's stupid. I just want what every other right minded Plegian wants- A grisly end for filthy Ylisseans. It's not racist."

"But why?" Emmeryn asked.

Gangrel groaned, shaking his head. "For the ruler of a nation, you sure are stupid. You forget what the LAST exalt did to my people? Named us heathens! His 'crusade' against Plegia butchered countless of my subjects, and my son!"

"I... Have not denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings... But I have sworn to never repeat mistakes. Ours in now a realm of piece."

"Bitch PLEASE. Yours is now a realm of hypocrites! Just give my the Fire Emblem and I'll leave your precious Mary Belle alone."

"It's MARIBELLE! Your Grace, don't!" Maribelle cried, still struggling to free her hair.

"Maribelle, I will not. I-"

"Hey you. With the grey hair."

DeNile tensed up, slowly raising his head to meet Aversa's eyes. "You haven't spoken a word, let alone even moved, since you got here. What's with you? Did someone tear your vocal chords out or something?"

"Leave DeNile alone!" Lissa shouted. "She has nothing to do with this, and... Well, she's timid!"

Aversa laughed. "Oh please. Are you going to say anything or what? Muteness is annoying."

"...S-sorry, ma'am..."

"Don't apologize to her, DeNile..." Chrom shook his head, facepalming.

"Sorry, Sir..."

Gangrel groaned even louder, rolling his eyes. "My GODS. Talk talk talk talk taaaalk. It's time to speak louder than words! I shall have the Emblem if I have to pry it from your cold dead hands!"

Three soldiers emerged from behind even larger rocks, all confronting Emmeryn. Chrom immediately drew his Falchion and shoved the blade right through one's eye, instantly killing him. "Stay back, or you'll all suffer the same fate!

Gangrel's face went grim, his eyes looking away. "Well that's sure a declaration of war If I've ever heard one... A big, messy war that'll bleed you Ylisseans dry! Hah!"

As Gangrel spoke, Aversa approached Maribelle and scanned her with her eyes. "Poor, idiotic girl. Are you REALLY worth fighting a war over? In a few years, you'll be known as the pathetic thing that destroyed your nation..."

Maribelle was trembling, tears filling her eyes. "No... That won't... Oh, Lissa... No... Please no..."

The soldier that was holding Maribelle was then blown back a couple metres by a powerful gust of wind, freeing her. A short, brown haired boy wearing a large wizard's hat ran onto the scene, a wind tome in hand. "Maribelle! Run!"

"RICKEN? What on Earth are you doing here?" Maribelle asked, shock in her voice.

"Just run! We can talk about it later!" Ricken said, waving his arm.

"Daaaaw, is this your little boyfriend?" Aversa asked, poking out her lower lip. "Isn't he just precious..."

"Well actually I'm a lesbian. My girlfriend is right over- "

"Don't talk down to me, witch!" Ricken casted his Wind spell and blew Aversa back a few feet.

"Wind magic, huh? You're a sly little brat, aren't you...?" Before she could stand on her feet, Ricken and Maribelle were already long gone. "Wretched welp! Why, I should... No. Our soldiers have them vastly outnumbered anyway. The brats should be dead long before they reach safety..."

"Maribelle!" Lissa called out. Maribelle and Ricken were surrounded by Plegian soldiers, all wielding weapons.

Chrom turned to his older sister and gestured for her to run. "Emm, go hide. There are a few boulders a few metres from here, behind those."

"But Chrom-"

"Don't argue! You have to get out of here!" Chrom spoke, pointing to the north-east of him. Emmeryn sighed, unwillingly running away. Chrom then turned to DeNile and found him trembling, his teeth chattering. "Damnation… are you okay, DeNile?"

DeNile shakily nodded, gulping. "W-we don't have many Shepherds… we only have you, me, Lissa, Maribelle, and Ricken. Lissa and Maribelle can't fight, s-so… we only have three fighters, and look at their army!" Plegia had brought about forty soldiers to the fight, pretty much guaranteeing a victory for them.

"Bwa hah hah! I have my war, finally! Captain Orton!" Gangrel called out to his captain for this band of troops. "Remain here. There are only five of them, their chances of coming out of this alive are slim. Now, do your best at doing your worst!" He walked further up the mountain, leaving the Ylisseans at the mercy of the Plegians.

Chrom put a hand on DeNile's shoulder, both a bit frightened. "I know this is a lot of pressure, but just think for a moment… What do we do?"

_We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, so dead. It's been a fun ride, I guess. I never even found out anything about my past. Oh gods, my parents must be worried sick. Do I even have parents? Looks like I'll never even find out… _DeNile forced his spear through the stomach of a soldier on reflex, doing a full one-eighty then taking his ax. "Lissa," he handed the iron ax to the girl, she obviously having no idea what to do with it.

"Wait, you want me to-"

"Yes. Don't stray too far, you don't know how to use it. And we still need your staff," DeNile looked to a few metres away towards Ricken and Maribelle, extending his arm. "_Vanitas Aurum._" The amount of snow buried the Plegian soldiers surrounding them, opening up a path for the two. "Ricken! Make sure Maribelle gets to Lissa safely! After that, you're with me!" The boy then turned to Chrom, his eyes looking fierce. "Chrom, don't stop swinging that sword, you're going to be alone. Be safe." And with that, he ran off, spear in hand.

The first real enemy he encountered was an archer, who immediately fired at him. DeNile deflected the arrow by spinning his spear rapidly, flinging the arrow into the sky. He kneeled down and placed his hand on the sand, prompting several large spears of ice to erupt from the ground, impaling the archer several times.

While DeNile was having no trouble at all, Lissa was struggling a bit. She'd already cut down about three enemies, but swinging the axe was the real problem. Several times he had almost cut herself, but she was holding up okay. Hell, she accidentally buried her axe inside of an enemy's head, which is a good thing. However, she had many close calls with blades and arrowheads. "Aaah! Chrom, a little help here!"

Chrom was graceful as always, his blade cutting through enemies just by simply being in their way. Falchion blocked an oncoming strike from a sword, parrying the blade into the neck of another enemy and decapitating the first one. "Lissa!"

"Maribelle!" Once Lissa was in the clear, she embraced Maribelle in a hug, Ricken just kind of standing there. "Oh gods, are you okay?"

Maribelle nodded, her eyes watering. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Thank you again, Ricken. I don't know what would've happened if you weren't there…"

Ricken simply smiled, laughing. "No problem, I was only doing what DeNile told me… oh.. DeNile!" Ricken dashed away as best as he could in the sand, running towards DeNile. "_Ventum!_" He casted his wind spell on an archer, sending him crashing into a rock.

When Ricken reached DeNile, he was looking upwards, terrified. "Hey, DeNile, I'm here… You look odd… Something wrong?"

DeNile simply pointed upwards, his normal bravery when in combat completely gone, his timid nature taking over. Ricken then looked upwards, his fear taking him over as well. "Oh gods…"

"CHROM! LISSA! MARIBELLE! THEY HAVE WYVERNS!" Ricken called out, rapidly flipping through his book. "_Ventum_!"

"C-_Crystallum_!" Both fighters casted their spells towards the sky. Ricken knew that wyverns were weak against wind magic, so his spell blasted one right out of the sky. DeNile ice crystals rapidly crashed into several of them, taking out a mass amount of them. "Ricken, let's go!"

The two ran away from the oncoming wyverns, instead trekking up the mountain. "Again!"

"Ventum!"

"_Crystallum_!"

Another combo attack took out several of them, leaving only one. That one dive bombed, accelerating towards the two. _Oh dear gods please work…_ DeNile threw his spear upwards, using it as a javelin. Sure enough, the tip pierced the skull of the Wyvern, causing it and its rider to fall to their deaths. "What about your spear?"

The icy weapon was already forming, small crystals emerging from DeNile's hand. In under ten seconds, he had his weapon back. "How are you guys doing?!"

"Fine!" Lissa called out as cut down the last of the main troops, leaving only Orton.

_Okay, let's go. Make this quick and easy, it doesn't have to last longer than it should_. DeNile gestured for Ricken to stay put, then sprinting at the wyvern rider. He slid under the beast and then rose, grabbing his tail. "What?!" Orton cried.

DeNile crawled up on the Wyvern, prompting Orton to turn around, axe in hand. He had a clear path for his hand axe, so he took the opportunity. The axe was surely going to hit the smaller boy, right?

DeNile jumped in the air, tilting his body and doing a backflip, dodging to axe. Once landing, he snapped his body back into position, shoving a ragged icicle into the bottom of Orton's jaw. "H-how..? We had you... Outnumbered..."

"Numbers mean nothing. You should be smart enough the know that."

Orton smiled as best as he could with an icicle stuck in his mouth, chuckling. "No matter. The war has begun, and soon... Every last Ylissean will be... Dead."

DeNile removed the icicle from his jaw, causing him to fall back dead. The wyvern simply stood there for a while, then picking Orton up in its mouth. "Good girl."

The Shepherds all met up near a pile of corpses, Ricken noticing that DeNile's timid personality had returned. "M-Maribelle..? I'm uh... Glad you're safe..."

Maribelle smiled, clearly grateful. "Well... Thank you. Despite my first impression of you, you actually seem like a very nice girl... Apologies for my rashness..."

Chrom turned to his older sister, a grim expression on his face. "Forgive me, Emm. I acted recklessly..."

"It's all right, Chrom. King Gangrel is the one at fault here. Thank you for protecting me."

Ricken inhaled, the deeply exhaled. "Gangrel'll be rallying his forces. If they haven't started mobilizing, we should probably get back to Ylisstol. You know, discuss strategy."

"Right.." Emm groaned, rubbing her temples. "It seems a war is among us... Let's head back..."

The trip back to Ylisstol was a simple one, as it was located near the border. It was near midnight, and the summer air was warm. Chrom was standing outside, a grim look on his face. His deep thought was interrupted by a soft, quiet, and feminine voice. "C-Chrom? What are you doing outside at this hour...?"

Chrom turned around, facing the small boy. "Oh... Hello, DeNile. I'm just battling with some unpleasant thoughts... In two days, we march to Regna Ferox to request additional soldiers. But before we do... I think you should know something."

"What is it?"

"...Not everything Gangrel said was a lie. The last exalt, my father, declared war on Plegia for many years. The violence, oh gods... It was a very brutal war, ending with his death only fifteen years ago at the hands of Gangrel's father. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war war was no kinder to the Ylissean people. As fighting dragged on-"

"The army became more diminished, right? They started drafting weak people, l-like farmers. The food ran out, and Ylisse started to fall. He died when Emmeryn was ten, so she was still young when she became exalt. Oh, everyone hated her, blamed her for everything... After a few more years, she ended the war with some sort of treaty... Ylisse transformed from a brutal nation, to a peaceful one."

"..."

DeNile blushed, smiling a bit. "I read about it in a book..."

"You're reading. Smart girl. I don't know how Emmeryn does it. People STONED her, yet she forgave them. She's so peaceful... but some feel the need to take advantage of that. People like Gangrel. The day he understands leave will be the day death forced him upon us. Perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him dead, nor would I wish her to."

"Well spoken, sir."

"EEP!" As DeNile shrieked, Marth entered the scene, looking quite shaken.

"Good evening, sir." Marth said, bowing.

Chrom squinted, clearly looking confused. "How did you get in here?"

Marth gestured to the fairly large opening in the wall of the castle, fairly concealed by tree branches and leafs.

"There? But how did you know it was... DeNile, I accidentally bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. I thought it was concealed well, but..." Chrom sighed, pinching the bring of his nose.

"Your secret is safe with me. I came only to warn you..." Marth said, looking around.

"W-warn us?!" DeNile's teeth began to chatter. "O-of what?"

"Exalt Emmeryn's life is in danger..."

Chrom raised and eyebrow. He was clearly a bit skeptical. "That's absurd, she's guarded at all hours!"

Marth sighed, shaking his head and gritting his teeth. "What if I told you I've... seen the future? Would you believe me? It's a future where Emmeryn is killed tonight."

"F-future? Isn't that impossible?" DeNile asked, tilting his head.

"Allow me to prove it..."

Marth drew his blade, Chrom following. This startled DeNile, causing him to equip his spear as well. "W-what's going on?"

"Chrom, I'm about to save your life. Watch me," just as Marth finished his sentence, an assassin wielding a dagger emerged from the bushes, aiming for Chrom. Marth threw his sword upwards and jumped, grabbing it in mid air and slashing him across his back, severing his spine. Once landing, he turned to Chrom and smirked a little. "I suppose this proof will do?"

"...Yeah... It will..."

The rustling in the bushes startled everyone, causing Marth to stumble back and slip on the blade on the first Assassin. "Wah!" Within a split second, DeNile flung his spear into the chest of the Assassin, and catching Marth, his hands landing on Marth's chest.

Almost immediately, DeNile's face turned full red, his entire body boiling hot. "...M-Marth...? Men aren't supposed to have um... b-breasts..."

"Gyah! Let go!" Marth rose, his face flustered. "That wasn't very polite..."

Chrom titled his head, sheathing his blade. "You're... A... Woman?!"

Marth smiled a bit, removing her mask and letting her dark blue hair flow, revealing her matching eyes and cute face. "And quite the actress as well... I'm honestly surprised you didn't figure it out until just now..."

DeNile was at a loss for words. _Wow, another crossdresser, I'm surprised... Well, not any longer, I guess._

His thought was interrupted by a loud explosion, the noise emitting from the palace. The three all nodded at eachother, then running into the entrance, their weapons drawn.

"Remember." A tall, slender man with rough skin with a purple tint to it said, a wide from across his face. "I want the emblem in my hand, and the exalt on the floor. Let NOTHING distract you from either purpose."

An Assassin nodded, clearly understanding. "As you will it."

A few meters away, and orange haired man looked confused, his utility belt lined with candy across his chest. "Woah woah wait, hold on, pause, stop. We're here to KILL the exalt? I'm just here for the plunder! She's such a sweet lady... I'll gladly rob her till she's naked, but I'd never harm her!"

"Emm!" Chrom, Marth, and DeNile all rush in to find the Shepherds all in the room, armed and ready.

"Chrom!" Emmeryn luckily was in a different room, but a small one lined with portraits of previous exalts. "Take Lissa and run!"

"No way!" Chrom called out. "We're not leaving you here, just stay put!" He turned to DeNile, clearly asking for directions.

"The assassins should scatter if we can defeat their leader... Me, Lon'qu, Sully, and Donnel all head towards him. Lissa and Maribelle follow us. Vaike, Miriel, and Ricken cover them. The rest of you stay put near Emmeryn, acting as a wall until we can take him out." As usual when in battle, DeNile's entire personality changed, including his voice.

"You're quick. Alright, let's go." Marth and Chrom rushed away as DeNile called the Shepherds he mentioned before over, all ready for battle.

Their leader scowled, breathing in through his teeth. "Two assassins and he's not even wounded?" He then spotted DeNile, and his scowl turned into a look of surprise. "Oh! Do my eyes deceive me? Well well, after years of searching..."

As the battle slowly begun, a peculiar women entered the room, looking around. "Look how these man spawn claw at eachother like savages... I will repay my warren's debt, then wash my hands of their retched race..."

Chrom gritted his teeth, blade in hand. "Another assassin?"

"No, Panne is not your enemy, she's here to help," Marth stood in front of the entrance to Emmeryn's room, ready to fight.

"You know her?" Chrom asked.

"I know of her. I knew she would come here tonight, and I knew that she'd help."

Chrom smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, someone's quite the prophet, aren't you?" Marth simply nodded. "Good enough for me."

Frederick tilted his head, squinting. "I do not find that wise at all, milord."

The blue haired man shook his head, looking at oncoming enemies. "She's earned our trust, hasn't she? She enjoys her secrets, I know... like her gender for an example... But she's saved my life, twice. That's enough for me. Now, to the matter at hand..." Chrom jabbed his blade forward, stabbing an enemy in the chest. "Driving these scoundrels from our castle!"

"Lon, to your right!" Lon'qu dashed to his right, cutting the dark mage across the chest. "Sully, behind you!" Sully's steed spun around, kicking the myrmidon in the head.

"Woo whee, DeNile. You sure are a pretty tactical gal!" Donny said, sliding to his left and blocking an attack from an axe wielder, then stabbing him in the throat.

"Lissa, Darling, I couldn't help but notice... You're using an axe? But you're a cleric..." Maribelle said, turning back to Lissa, who was on Maribelle's horse with her iron axe in hand.

"Ya see, I wanted to be able to defend myself without swinging my staff around, so I decided to change classes! I'm a war cleric now!" Lissa axed a dark mage in the neck, decapitating him.

Maribelle gasped, covering her mouth. "Lissa! How uncouth! Isn't that a bit barbaric?"

Lon'qu stopped before them, turning around. "Women. Less talking, more slashing. As for Maribelle, tighten the grip on your staff. If you drop it, we're down a healer."

"How dare you! I will not take orders from such a-"

"Oh my GODS! Maribelle, quit your whining and just do it!" DeNile spat, jamming his spear into an enemy's eye socket.

"W-well... I suppose I can't disobey an order from my tactician... As you wish..."

Suddenly, DeNile had a pounding headache, squeezing his eyes shut and holding his head. _Agh! Another headache... This stupid shit's been happening for weeks now... _The boy opened his eyes to a sudden surprise. His entire vision was tinted purple, three black raindrop shaped silhouettes forming a triangle on the outskirts. _Ignore it! Just ignore it and push forward!_

Meanwhile, Chrom approached the orange haired man, his Falchion outstretched. "Drop you weapon or die where you stand!"

The man put his hand up, still holding his long, silver dagger. "Easy there, blue blood. Not here to hurt anyone, I just wanna get out of here alive, to be honest."

"And yet you travel with a band of assassins. Doesn't seem very wise."

"Guess I'm not a very wise guy then. I'm just trying to make a living, m'kay? I'm a thief, see? I bust open doors, pick the locks on chests, ya know, mischievous stuff. This lot told me that they needed he to break into some time of vault or somethin', no one said anything about murder... Name's Gaius, by the way."

Chrom slowly lowered his weapon, an intense look on his face. "Then perhaps... you'd be willing to prove your good intentions? We need all the help we can get to save Emmeryn, and you appear capable. We could use any information you have on our foes."

"Mmm... Sure, I'll pull a switcheroo... If ya sweeten the deal a bit." Gaius smirked, rubbing his thumb and index finger together.

"Gold, huh? Let me just- oops." Chrom dropped a satchel by accidentally shifting a shoulder a bit too far.

"Looks like blue blood dropped somethin'. What's in the satchel, dude?" He asked.

Chrom waved his hand, shaking his head. "Nothing, candies from my little sister is all. I'm sure you-"

"PAUSE. Candies? As in, candy candies? With sugar and stuff?" Gaius' pupils dilated, suddenly becoming very interested.

"Um... Yes. But-"

"DEAL. FORGET THE GOLD, JUST GIMME THAT CANDY."

Chrom raised an eyebrow clearly showing skepticism. "You'll risk your life if I give you a bag of candy...?"

"Hey, I said sweeten the deal, right? Just hold onto it for now. After the battle, they're all mine," with that, Gaius turned on his heel, shoving the blade of his dagger into the neck of his former ally. "Man... I've never killed anyone before... I feel bad..."

"You get used to it. Come on." Chrom signaled for Gaius to follow him, which the man obeyed.

Vaike blocked a rogue arrow from hitting Miriel with the blade of his axe, essentially saving her life. "Thank you, Vaike. You have my gratitude."

"Gyah!" Ricken jumped back, avoiding Vaike's weapon. "Gods! Watch where you're swinging that thing, man!"

Vaike shrugged, swinging his axe again. "Sorry! Teach's axe has a mind of its own sometimes!"

DeNile's headache had only gotten worst, as his head was pounding at this point. "Ugh... Man up. One wrong move and we're all dead... _Vanitas Aurum_!"

The snowflake took out several bandits, leaving a clear path for the front line troops. "Ugh... Lon, get on Sully's horse. You two go on ahead and get rid of the troops ahead."

Lon'qu nodded, Sully pulling him up. "What about the rest of ya?" Sully asked.

"Miriel and Vaike, to your left. Maribelle, you're with me. Ricken and Lissa, you two fall back..." DeNile tightened the grip on his spear, groaning.

Maribelle reluctantly let Lissa off, the shorter girl scurrying over to Ricken. "Um... Are you okay? Also, why the sudden change in plan? It's going fine..."

"I'm fine. I don't know why, but I don't think the plan's going to work..." The boy rose onto Maribelle's steed, spear in hand. "Stay safe, everyone. Maribelle."

"Right," Maribelle rode forward, long behind Lon'qu and Sully.

Donnel meanwhile, was standing in the same spot, a baffled expression on his face. "She... Forgot 'bout me... Ah well, sh' was lookin' mighty tired... Vaike! Miriel! Wait up!"

Chrom on the other hand was simply standing there, watching what used to be Panne but was now some sort of rabbit creature thing, fight. "Marth... You said she was a Taguel, correct?"

Marth nodded while kicking a dark mage in the jaw, then slicing his neck. "Yes. Almost extinct... They're similar to Manaketes, which I know you know of."

"Ah. Beast transformers, yes, I know of them... Why are they endangered?"

"Well actually she's the last of her kind. Well... Valmese soldiers raided their homeland over the years, so..."

"Ah... I see..."

Panne ran over to them, still in her beast forme. "I do not need sympathy..." Her voice was distorted, a shaky tone to it. "I am perfectly fine, understand?"

"Y-yes!" Marth cleared her throat, her eyes darting back and forth. "I understand..."

DeNile rode on Maribelle's horse, stabbing enemies as they went. "Gyah..." _Ok, the headache's died down, but I'm still seeing violet. What the hell is going on? What's wrong-_

"Hey! De, Belle, all clear!" Sully called from up ahead, corpses surrounding her and Lon'qu. "Hurry up, there's some creepy purple dude up ahead!"

"On our way! Maribelle, speed up," DeNile said, holding onto Maribelle's waist.

The socialite nodded, looking towards her horse. "Brady, speed up, please!"

"You named your horse Brady?"

"What can I say? I like the name," the horse accelerated, passing Sully and Lon'qu.

"Okay then... Head back, I'm off."

"What?"

As Maribelle began to turn around, DeNile slid off, rolling on the ground. "Head back to Lissa and Ricken, ok?!"

"Right!"

_Okay then... Where are you..? _DeNile engulfed his left hand in a frosty mist, looking all around him.

"Oh! There you are!" The tall and slender man stepped out from behind a corner. "Oh yes, I know you. Submit to me and you might found out the truth, you disgrace!"

_Truth? What is this guy- OH GODS. _The three symbols on the outskirts of his vision began to spin quickly, forming a rotating black ring around his vision. _What the- Stop. Just ignore it and push through. Push. Through._ "You wish to assassinate the exalt. Why?"

"Why do you think? Why does anyone want to assassinate anyone? Honestly, use your head." The man drew a Flux tome, covering his hand in a black fog.

DeNile was tired of words for the day. "_Benedicite Glacies_!" The barrage of icy shards came at the man from all sides, drawing blood. "Congelo!" Raising his arm, the man's skin began to harden, being replaced with ice.

"No... This is wrong! You couldn't have known the plan!" He cried out as his entire body was encased in ice, his body temperature causing his soon to be frozen jaw to chatter. "N-no!"

"Let's just finish this... _Glacies Praevaricator!_" The man's body shook for a moment, then shattering into a million shards of ice, his tome falling to the ground. "... I could always use a bit of practice." DeNile put the tome in his cloak, then beginning his walk to meet up with all the other Shepherds.

"Emm! Oh thank the gods you're safe!" Chrom said, exhaling deeply.

"I must thank you, Chrom. And you, DeNile. From what Chrom has told me, you are quite the able tactician, yes?" Emmeryn asked, looking down at the small boy.

DeNile blushed, smiling a bit. "I'm not THAT good... I mean-"

"Hello! I see there's a party- Oh! Hi there, sweetie! What's going on- oh my gods there are dead bodies on the floor. YOUR GRACE!" Phila raced to Emmeryn and Chrom, panting heavily. "Oh, no! Milord, I beg your forgiveness! They shouldn't have made it into the castle in the first place!"

"It's fine, Phila. You didn't know they were coming. Only Marth could have-... Huh."

Emmeryn tilted her head, confused. "Marth? The woman who was standing before the vault?"

Chrom puffed his cheeks out, looking around. "Yeah... I would speak more with um... Hm... DeNile, where's Marth?"

"U-um..." DeNile shuffled in place, looking around. "I don't know... She was here a moment ago..."

"Again?" Virion asked, raising an eyebrow. "She did the same back in the forest..."

"I'll be right back, everyone!" Chrom sprinted out of the castle, into the courtyard.

"Ah, yes..." Emmeryn turned to Panne, who was in her normal, humanoid forme. "Brave Taguel, there aren't any words to express my gratitude."

"So you know our true name? Surprising..."

Vaike scratched the back of his head, raising and eyebrow. "Uh, what the heck is a Taguel?"

"I'm a Taguel. The last of them, actually... We are shape shifters. Most you man-spawn call us "beast" or "coney" in the midst of your retched hunt. The only reason I helped is because my warren owes Ylisse a debt. Do not think us friends, you and I!"

"I-I um... Don't exactly understand..." DeNile said, biting his lip.

"Not surprising. It is man-spawn like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people!" Panne spat, an irritation mark appearing on her forehead.

"What?!" Emmeryn looked surprised, her eyes wide with horror. "Who would do such a thing?"

Panne scoffed, crossing her arms. "Do not act so shocked. Every one of you are the same, right down to your desire to destroy everything you touch, even eachother..."

Emm bit her lip, looking down. "There is truth to your words, yes. I'm told that in Taguel society, everyone is treated as an equal. Man can learn much from your warren. The words may come too late and mean too little, but I am deeply sorry. We have stolen your race from you, and made the world a lesser place."

"Emmeryn, you had no fault in this..." Phila said, her eyes sadden.

"You claim to be blameless, and yet you apologize? Your words are wind..."

DeNile mumbled, looking to the floor. "Words are... all we have..."

Panne heard the boy, then looking down on him and smiling. "You seem sincere. You feel my pain as your own... I've never felt that before... I will never trust mankind, but you. Perhaps your are truly not like others."

_She got all that just from me mumbling? All I said was that we only had words.._. Chrom had returned, a smile on his face. "It will take time to investigate how the assasination plot got so far, though. We have no leads at how."

"It was Plegia, obviously. I'm sure of it. They'd do anything for the Emblem, those worms. Emmeryn, you can't stay here. You need to go to Ferox, where it's safe."

"And leave the people undefended?" Emmeryn asked. "War is at our borders, Chrom. Do you expect Ylisse to stand against Plegia without a leader?"

"What if something happens to you? What then?" Chrom asked, looking grim.

"Y-you could..." DeNile bit his lip, then trembling. Oh no, why did I say anything?

"Yes, DeNile?" Frederick looked to him. "You have an idea?"

"W-well..." DeNile kicked at the floor, looking down with his hands behind his back. "You can relocate to the eastern palace for now... The other kingdoms don't know that it exists..."

"Yes!" Chrom said, then catching himself. "I mean... Yes. I cannot leave for Ferox with you right in harm's way."

"...Very Well."

Phila put on arm around DeNile, pulling him close. "There's my sweetie, always coming up with good ideas!"

"Ph-Phila..."

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter took FOREVER to write. I'm not exactly sure why I decided to put two chapters into one, but I was kind of just like "This is a totally good idea!" Which it was not. Please, rate and review! I see the traffic stats, so I know a lot of you awesome guys read this, but the reviews are almost non existent. To those of you who have reviewed, you have my thanks. To those who haven't, please do it! Thanks ^^.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Dragon Drama

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><p>The men's bath. DeNile had always come here, as he felt the women's bath was a bit... uncomfortable for him. However, the boy always entered when everyone else had exited, which eased his timidness. <em>Man, yesterday was tough... But hey, at least Lissa learned to defend herself. A war cleric, huh? Speaking of classes, what should I be? I supposed I could become a grandmaster officially, but that's kind of boring. I want something exotic. Though my options are limited... I suppose I could be a dark flier, as they use lances and tomes like me. Although I only use frost magic, so... Also, it's a female only class... But everyone considers me a girl, so that has to count for something, right?... Eh, for technicalities sake, I'll just ignore it for now. However-<em>

"Oh come on. It can't be THAT hard! All you do is- oh. Hi, DeNile!"

"EEP!" The girl splashed a bit, the water up to her neck. "O-oh... Hi, Lissa... What're you doing here...?"

"Well..." Lissa tapped her foot, DeNile noticing she was in just a towel. _Oh gods_. "The water in the women's bath is a bit contaminated, so..."

Maribelle then entered, also wearing a towel. "We have to wash in the men's bathroom... Ugh, it's disgusting. I honestly don't know how, or why, you bathe in here every day."

"What she said. I hope you don't mind if we wash up in here, do you?"

DeNile's face burned red as she sunk lower in the water, shy. "It's fine..." _After all, it is just her and Maribelle..._

"Great! Come on in, girls!" Eh. Just then, ALL of the female Shepherds entered the bath, all wearing towels.

"Hot damn! Finally! Stupid women's bathroom..." Sully removed her towel, then entering the bath. "Ooh, hot."

_WHY! W-well... At least Phila's here... She'll protect me from touching any of them, right?_ "Why hello there, sweetie!" Phila jumped in right next to DeNile, their arm's touching. "Oh!" The albino women out on a mischievous smile and leaned in, whispering to DeNile. "Don't worry, Miriel told me everything. I'm honestly surprised I didn't notice sooner!"

DeNile nodded, not COMPLETELY freaking out. After all, it was Phila. The two were friends, one of the few REAL friends DeNile had, besides Donnel and Ricken. The three had been talking the last few days, DeNile found herself taking a liking to them both, sitting with them during dinner.

Panne was clearly embarrassed as well, covering her chest and her face red. Luckily, she had decided to stay in the Shepherds. However, some of the foods that humans ate weren't exactly to her liking. "Normally I would bathe alone..."

"Hey, we're in an army. Can't be picky!" Sully laughed and splashed Panne, completely soaking her hair.

"I would appreciate if you did not splash..." Miriel said, flipping a page in her book. DeNile had to admit, she did look quite pretty without her hat and glasses.

"Well, it is kinda dumb to read while in the bath... What are you reading anyway?" Sumia asked, leaning over to the woman.

"A romance novel," Miriel said, her eyes intensely focusing on the book.

"Eh? Why're ya reading romance? Normally you read books about science and stuff," Lissa tilted her head, the girl being clearly confused.

"Well, Vaike and I recently got engaged, so-"

"HOLD ON!" Sully rose out of the water and moved over to Miriel, plopping down next you her. "You? And the blonde idiot? You MUST be joking."

"...No, I'm serious... He proposed to me before DeNile, Chrom, Lissa and Frederick left for the border. I of course accepted."

"Speaking of which. Sully, haven't you and Donny been getting awfully close?" Sumia asked, smirking.

Sully's cheeks became rosy, the woman biting her lip. "W-well... Maybe just a bit... Not as close as you and Chrom, though!"

"Oh please, Chrom and I are just friends. Besides, dating your Captain seems to be a bit of a stretch..." Sumia looked to DeNile, who had remained silent mostly. "What do you think, DeNile? Anyone you fancy here in the Shepherds?" She said jokingly.

DeNile sunk lower in the water, shaking his head. "N-not... really..."

"Oh! In that case, who do you find the most attractive? Out of us girls AND the guys," Lissa smiled while keeping her cheerful attitude.

"U-um..." DeNile's face burned red, luckily the steam in the room making it hard to see. "W-well... Out of the guys? I'd um... Say... P-probably Gaius..."

"I agree. That guy can taste my candy any day of the week!" Sumia said, smiling.

_Please kill me..._ "F-for the girls..." _Might as well be honest._ "Phila..."

"Aaaaw!" Phila threw her arms around the timid boy, tackling her into the water. "Thanks so much, sweetie! That means a lot to me!"

_I'M DROWNING. OH GODS._ "Well everyone already knows what I'll say. Maribelle!" Lissa pulled Maribelle into a hug, pressing their cheeks together.

"Isn't that a bit creepy?" Sully asked, splashing a bit of the water. "How old are you anyway, Phila?"

Phila kept her smile, flashing her teeth. "Well, I'm twenty. And from the looks of it, sweetie here looks to be about... seventeen!"

"Really? No offense DeNile, but you kinda look fourteen to me." Lissa said.

"N-no, it's fine. I am really small... and timid. And my voice is really tiny..."

"Well you look cute with your hair down, sweetie. And that's all that really matters!" Phila poked DeNile in her cheek, prompting a squeak from the small boy. "And no it's not pedophilic. She's not THAT younger than me."

"Riiight... Anyway you guys. We should probably head out, we're heading to Ferox in a few minutes," Lissa said as she rose, prompting DeNile to shield his eyes. "Oh please, De. We're all girls here!"

Eventually, DeNile and Phila were the only one's left, both left soaking in the water. "So, how ya doin', sweetie?"

"I... Don't mean to be rude, but I kind of need to get dressed... And I don't exactly want you seeing anything of mine..."

"Right, right! My bad, sweetie. I'll cover my eyes," as Phila put her hands over her eyes, DeNile dried himself off.

"... N-no peaking!"

"Sorry, sweetie! Couldn't help myself!" Phila giggled, once again shielding her eyes.

* * *

><p>It was a mountain range. DeNile had no idea why the eastern castle was so far, but I guess he could kind of understand. If you have a last resort, wouldn't it be better to put it far from the front lines?<p>

Lissa groaned, her walking slowing down. "My legs feel like pudding... My gods, how are you doing this, Chrom?"

"Years of practice, Lissa. Years of practice."

"Hmm..."

"Is something troubling you, Hierarch?" Frederick asked, looking down on the short old man.

"Just a bit nervous, I'm afraid. Ghastly times, these!" The old man laughed a hoarse laugh.

"I don't mean to be rude, but... Who is that?" DeNile asked, rubbing Bianca's ears as they went.

"Oh, the Hierarch?" Chrom smiled, looking down on the old man. "He's been a friend of Ylisse for YEARS. He was Emmeryn's mentor during the earliest years of her rule. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know... but Bianca doesn't particularly seem to like him, or trust him for that matter..." The small bat shrieked, causing Chrom to cringe.

"That bat sure can-"

"Oh dear..." DeNile looked towards the mountainside, seeing brigands sliding down. What followed were Wyverns approaching from all sides, brigands riding them.

"Plegian soldiers..." Chrom drew his blade, looking to all of the Shepherds. "Everyone! Prepare for battle!"

The Shepherds drew their weapons, DeNile's spear springing to life. "Captain Vasto, shall we attack now?"

"No, no... Not now... I have a present I've yet to receive," the captain of the army said, deeply inhaling.

The Hierarch sprinted to Vasto, running as fast as his old bones could carry him. "Hold, sir! I'm the man that Gangrel spoke to you about! You received orders to take me into your protection?"

Vasto smirked, looking down on the man. "Yes, yes. I received orders to protect a man... but I see no man before me. Only a pig. A piece of traitorous bacon that sold out his own sovereign! And what do you think we do with little piggies, huh?"

The Hierarch began backing away fearfully. "You... release them?"

Vasto's smirk turned into a scowl. "No. We eat them. Loki."

The Hierarch let out a blood curling scream as the scarred beast Vasto was sitting upon took him into its jaws, crushing his bones. Blood sprayed across the gravel as the wyvern tore him apart, finally preparing to eat him. The long, thin tongue wrapped what was left of the old man, then going down the beast's throat. "Good boy... Now for the main event! By day's end, they'll be building statues of me in Ylisstol! Ylisseans, give me the Fire Emblem and your wretch of a ruler and spare yourselves and end similar to your worm's!"

"Phila-"

"Phila!" DeNile interrupted Chrom. "Take Emmeryn to the rear of the column! We'll fend them off!

"O-okay! Your Grace!" Emmeryn boarded Phila's Pegasus, the pair then flying off.

"DeNile? Please, shower us in your vast tactical knowledge," Frederick said sarcastically.

"Ugh... Everyone stay in a pair. Who you're with is up to you. Although there are a few exceptions: Donny with Sully, Vaike with Miriel, Chrom with Sumia, and Gaius is with me. Candy man, let's- Gyah!" The boy hunched over as her vision once again spiraled into violet, the three raindrops appearing.

"DeNile! Are you okay? Y-your eyes!" Lissa said, gripping her axe.

"I'm fine! Gaius, come on. Straight ahead!"

Just then, a red headed Pegasus knight flew onto the battlefield, quite out of breath. "Finally, I'm-... Oh no... No no no no no no! Plegians here as well? No... Prince Chrom! Enemy forces to the rear! They'll be here soon!"

"C-Cordelia?!" Chrom said, titling his head.

"Ugh... Who's that?" DeNile rose, this time not having a head ache at all.

"She's one of Phila's Pegasus knights. She was stationed on the border, so why-... Oh gods..." Chrom to everyone, eyes filled with horror. "You guys. We need to hurry, now. Go!"

"Right! Everyone, spread out with your partner!" DeNile decided to immediately cast a spell instead of going with his spear as usual. "_Crystallum_!" Shards of ice rushed at several ground units, including their archers and barbarians. "Okay, that's a few ground units taken out... Gaius, take out that bundle of brigands to your left."

"You got it, silver." Gaius scurried away as DeNile rushed towards a wyvern rider, sliding under the low hovering creature and slicing its stomach open, leaving it bleeding to death, its owner panicking.

_So far so good. But why ambush us with the exalt in our hands, and surrounded by armed forces? Seems kind of stupid._ Just then, the teardrops rotated, the tops now pointing to the left. _Huh_?

On reflex, the girl forced her spear to her left, hearing a piercing sound. "Huh...?" The icy weapon was lodged in the throat of an axe wielder, who was still alive, tears streaming down his face. _What was that...? _She thought as she withdrew the weapon. "I didn't... Ugh. Just bare it as usual. Push through..."

"Hey! Watch out!" Gaius called to DeNile, alerting him to oncoming danger.

"Huh?" As he turned around, a wyvern crashed down in front of him, causing dust to erupt all around him, the force blowing him back. "Damn it!"

His body repeatedly banged into the hard rock, eventually reaching the edge of the cliff. "DeNile!" Chrom called out. After cutting down a wyvern rider, he began running towards him.

"I-I'm fine!" The tactician stood, her knees shaking. _Phew... That was close... _All of the sudden, an axe wielder charged at the boy, diving at him.

A loud shout was heard as he tackled him off of the cliff, arms wrapped around his waist. Once DeNile managed to shove him off, he grabbed the back of his head and shoved it against the cliff side, grinding his face against the rock until it was nothing. _Oh fuck_, _oh fuck, oh FUCK! He _had no idea what to do! _The river's too shallow for the water to save me... And even if it was, the fall's way too high to-_

"I've got you!" Cordelia swooped in and grabbed him by the hood, quickly pulling her onto her Pegasus. "Boy! You don't weigh much, do you?"

"Ugh... Apparently not. Thanks, by the way. I'd be a puddle on the ground if it wasn't for you..."

Cordelia waved her hand, ascending to the top. "Don't mention it. You ARE the tactician after all."

"Right. Thanks anyway," the tactician hopped off of the Pegasus and rolled on the ground, signalling to everybody else that her was fine. "Ok... Oh crap! Where's Bianca..?" He looked around for his small friend, beginning to panic.

"Bianca?!" In reply, he got a loud cry, coming for the adorable little bat that had her teeth sunk in to a wyverns snout. "Alright, come here!"

After avoiding the swing of a sword, Bianca hastily flew over to her owner, awaiting orders. "Good girl. I'm gonna need you to stay by my side, got it?" The bat nodded, flapping next to DeNile. "Good. Now... _Benedictite Glacies!_" The shards crashed into Vasto's chest, causing him to bleed furiously.

"Son of a bitch! Loki, get that bitch!" The wyvern roared, then taking off, flying towards DeNile.

The boy took a deep breath, speaking hastily. "Ok now Bianca, I need you to fly left, I'll dive right. One... Two... Now!" DeNile dived to the right, the wyvern passing right through. "_Crystallum!_" Crystals barraged the beast, causing blood to spew everywhere. Bianca! His neck!"

"Loki, down!" Vasto dodged Bianca's fangs by diving downwards into the canyon.

"Agh, damn it! Bianca, go take out the rest of them!" DeNile dashed at the edge, recklessly diving off. He luckily landed on the dark blue beast, coming face to face with Vasto.

"You little wretch... Come on, face me!" He drew his hand axe, swinging it forward. The boy tilted to the right, dodging the attack.

_Don't be stupid. Let's just end this... _The spear crashed into Vasto's head, dazing him. It then went into the part where the wing connected to the body, causing Loki to roar. "No, what are you-" DeNile spin kicked Vasto in the side, causing him to shout. She then stabbed the other wing, erupting another roar.

The beast they were standing on was now flightless, tumbling down to the canyon floor. Vasto growled, rage in his eyes. "You little bi-"

The three crashed into the ground, all flailing around. DeNile was against the wall, groaning. "Agh... Can't... Just... Ignore it..." She stood up, spear in hand. "...huh?"

Vasto had hands on top of his wyvern, tears in his eyes and his voice shaky. "L-Loki...? Oh gods... Loki, wake the hell up. F-fuck..." The man stood, enraged and looking at DeNile. "Just fucking kill me..."

"W-what..?"

"Kill me you son of a bitch! It won't change anything! Now, my brothers storm across your border. Just kill me, you coward!"

_I don't like this guy's attitude. _With one swift movement, Vasto had two holes in his head, blood pouring out of each. "...Great. That's over with..."

"They're gone..." Said Chrom. The majority had been slaughtered, the rest running.

"But seriously! You guys HAVE to get out of here! More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march behind you!" Cordelia cried, clearly anxious.

Phila sighed, shaking her head. "Cordelia, why are you here? PLEASE tell me the border remains secure!"

"I could, milady... But it would be false. Gangrel himself fought against our guards. The end was upon us when the rest of the knights begged me to warn you. I should have stayed...! I can still hear the screams..."

"Stay calm, Cordelia, you did your duty. The sisters rightly prized your youth, as you've many years yet to keep their legacy alive. Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage. Come on, pull yourself together. Let the faith they showed in you give you strength."

Cordelia was sobbing at this point, covering her face. "Captain Phila... How can I go on like this? They were m-my family..."

Chrom groaned aggressively. "Damn those monsters!"

"I... I must return to the capital."

Phila turned to Emmeryn, distress in her eyes. "Your Grace, I cannot advise-"

"No," Emmeryn interrupted. "I should not have left. If it is discovered I'm away when this news comes to light... The people would riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die. Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you." Emmeryn took something out from her robe, a shield with a few indents in it.

"The Fire Emblem...?" Chrom asked, reluctantly taking it.

"Take it to Ferox. Take it to safety."

Chrom shook his head no. "I'm not going to leave you, Emm, that's crazy!"

"Chrom, there's no choice. No part of Ylisse matters more than the emblem. Too much blood has been shed over It already," the exalt sighed. "I hope it finds a better owner in you than it did in me..."

Chrom gritted his teeth with despair. "Emm, come on. You shouldn't... You can't talk like that! You sound just about ready to give up..."

"I am not giving up, I'm giving what I can." Talk about generosity...

"Emm, please! This is madness!"

Lissa stamped her foot in frustration. "In that case, let me go with you!"

"No. You stay with the Shepherds."

"But that's not fair!"

"Lissa, you of all people know that life isn't fair... Phila?" Emmeryn looked to Phila, who was biting her lip and looking down.

"The Pegasus knights will accompany you back to Ylisstol..." She sounds upset...

Frederick spoke up after not talking for a while. "I will keep the prince and Princess safe, your grace. You have my word..."

"Thank you, Frederick."

Phila looked down on Cordelia. "Stay here with Chrom. I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be. Your knight sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go, understand?"

Cordelia's frown turned into a half smile, her eyes seeming to brighten. "May they give me strength..."

"Come, Phila. We must go," the exalt began to walk away, Phila following.

"... Walking to your own death won't bring peace to anyone, Emmeryn. Ylisse needs you, and so do we. Be selfish for ONCE in your life!" Chrom said, grinding his teeth.

"Chrom..." Emmeryn sighed, back turned to everyone. "I love you. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek, you cannot see who it is for. I'm sorry, I truly am, but I have to go. We will meet again when you arrive in Ylisstol with Feroxi enforcements. Safe journey to you all. Until them... Farewell."

The two women left, heading towards Phila's Pegasus, the area silent. ...Well this is awkward. Hope be with you, I guess.

Chrom, Lissa, and DeNile all stood in a barren room in the eastern castle, all but one looking forlorn. "She's safe in the castle, right? Phila and the others will protect her... Ugh... Chrom, say something!" Lissa said, staring at her brother.

"...I'm sorry, Lissa, what?" Chrom tilted his head, clearly not hearing her. Heh.

"Ugh, never mind! Let me know when you get out of your own head for a second!"

The prince did not speak, instead looking into space. The silence was interrupted by the footsteps of Sumia, who came in in a stormy rage. "Snap out of it, Captain!" The girl threw a punch, hitting Chrom in the jaw as Flavia entered. _BAHAHAHAHA. WELL THAT WASN'T HILARIOUS AT ALL._

"OW! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" Chrom asked, holding his jaw.

"For being an idiot!"

"Gods that seriously hurt... Ow!"

The Khan snickered, smirking. "Hey, love hurts, princey boy. You're lucky to have strong girls like Sumia and De-... You're lucky to have strong girls like Sumia." _Aw._ "Anyway, I've got good news~ The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. All of my men are itching to fight! I'm looking forward to savoring a skirmish for myself!"

"Y-you're coming along...?"

"Well DUH, a khan's gotta have a lil' fun! I'm even bringing my own personal dumbass!"

"H-h-huh?"

Flavia stretched, cracking her neck. "Basilio. Isn't food for much, but he might stop a few arrows. Matter of fact, let's go get 'im."

The group, excluding Sumia, headed to the main hall, only to find what looked to be a distressed Basilio. "Chrom! Good Gods, I've been looking for you EVERYWHERE."

"Um... What's the matter?" The prince asked.

"Our scouts have reported back... Ylisstol has fallen."

"Wait, what?!" Huh? What does he mean?

Basilio sighed, pacing back and forth. "The Plegians abducted your exalt and retreated back to their country. Gangrel declared she's to be publicly executed within the moon..."

"Executed?!"

Lissa suddenly grew lightheaded, falling back into DeNile's arm. "Ooooh..."

Flavia cursed under her breath, making a fist. "The dick's not even trying to be subtle anymore."

"I-I agree... It's most likely a trap..." DeNile said as she helped Lissa back to her feet.

"He knew our scouts would relay this information back. It's obviously a provocation! We should consider our options carefully before-"

"We're going to Plegia. Now," Chrom said as he begun to walk into the path to the garrison.

Basilio cleared his throat, pursing his lips. "Well that's an option... But maybe we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for a single war, right?"

"I could care less, he's gonna murder my sister!" _The phrase is "I COULDN'T care less." That implies that you still care to a certain extent._

"Chrom." Flavia held out her hand. "Breath for a moment, no one's saying we shouldn't do anything. We're just saying that we shouldn't be reckless. We'll need guts AND wits if we're going to save Emmeryn."

"T-t-they're uh... They're right. I-I'll think of something, honest..." The boy mumbled, awkwardly shuffling.

The prince sighed as he squeezed his eyes shut, conflicted. "...Right. DeNile, I'll leave you to formulate a strategy.

"Are you sure?" Flavia asked as she raised an eyebrow. "It won't be easy. You hold the exalt's life in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

_Well gee, that makes it better. Wait, don't get mad at her, she's just telling you how much of a responsibility you have. _"Mhm... I-I'll succeed..."

Flavia smiled, patting the girl on the back. "You've got balls, girly. I like that." _Yes, yes I do_.

"Well..." Basilio spoke. "Hold onto your assets, Ylisseans. We've got an exalt to save!"

* * *

><p><em>Oh my gods, the desert is cold at night... <em>All of the Shepherds were trembling, their teeth chattering and their knees wobbling. They had breached the border swiftly, and had not encountered any Plegians. "Son of a bitch... It's cold as a dead bull's ass..."

Vaike put on a disgusted face. "Very classy, Sully."

"Well actually, her statement was not classy in the slightest," Miriel adjusted her glasses, looking around.

"I was being sarcastic, babe..."

"Are you calling me a pig?"

Frederick interrupted the three by speaking to Chrom, bringing news. "Milord, the scouts report of some manner of engagement down field."

"Right," Chrom nodded, "Get ready to move, we don't have much time to waste.

As the band of fighters moved forward, DeNile spotted a small, green haired girl running through the sand, stumbling as she went. She stopped, putting her hands on her knees as she panted. "Have... Have I lost him?"

She was quickly followed by a tall and gruff older man with brown hair, also looking tired. "Wait!" He spoke with a Russian accent. "Why you no comprehending what I saying, wee one?"

The little girl groaned, looking very agitated. "AUGH! GET AWAY FROM ME! Will everyone just leave me ALONE!" _She's cute. Wait. Dude, she's like, eight. Bad thoughts. Very bad thoughts._

The man raised his hands, then lowering them as a signal for lowering the volume. "Please, be keeping down with the voice. You give away position, which very bad."

"My throat is dry, my clothes are full of sand, and some big perverted pedophile is trying to KILL ME!"

"Oi! You break Gregor heart! Why you treat like villain?"

"HEY! LAY OFF THE GIRL, SICKO!" Gaius shouted at the man, stomping his foot.

"Damn..." Gregor realized that he had been spotted and looked quite annoyed. "Who is sicko? You mean Gregor? Gregor is no sicko, you have wrong idea!"

"Yeah right, ya creep!" Ricken spat.

Gregor sighed, shaking his head. "Tsk tsk, this day been nothing but insults and punching to groin, and all for doing good deed! Listen, friend, Gregor only want to-"

The man was interrupted by a much older, but shorter, one. "Gotcha, you slippery little scamp. Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath from the mighty Chalard." _Ugh, this guy..._

"Oi! This most bad. Do you see now? They make with the catching of us!"

Sully put a hand on her hip, inflating one of her cheeks. "Why the hell are you all after a little girl...?"

"All? What is this 'all'? Look close? Maybe you not see very good in darkness, but Gregor have innocent baby face!" _Not sure I'd describe your face as one of an "innocent baby"..._ "Never be minding. Gregor is friend, you must believe!"

Chrom sighed, drawing his sword as he heard troops rushing towards them. "Ok screw this, it's making my head hurt. We'll sort him out later. Right now we protect the little girl."

"Y-you're gonna help me?" The girl asked, biting her lip.

"We'll do everything we can to keep you safe, ok? Just hold on until we can reach you, and we'll drive them off.

After Chrom spoke, the girl was grabbed by the collar by a dark mage, causing her to to tense up. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" She shoved him off, backing away. Not too soon after, three pink petal like structures sprouted from the sand, encasing her. When they retracted back, the small girl was replaced by a large, green dragon, which immediately scorched the mage with a green fire.

_Manakete, eh? Read about 'em once._ The purple vision returned, luckily lighting up her sight. _You again? Ugh. Fine. I've gotten used to it... Besides, you seem to be useful. _"Groups of three, whoever's closest to you. Split off in general directions. Gaius, you're with the dragon girl."

_First thing's first_. _"Frigidus!"_ _New spell_. A light mist emerged, engulfing a bundle of enemies and numbing their limbs. _Next_. _"Vanitas Aurum!"_ The shards collided with several of the army, taking them out.

"Gyah! Um... Sumia. I would appreciate if we could lower our altitude. The enemy can't fly..." Lon'qu asked, reluctantly holding onto Sumia's waist as they and Cordelia flew high into the air.

"We're scouting, dude. Seeing what lays ahead. After all, we can't fight what we don't know. Am I right, Cordelia?"

"I suppose. But I do agree, we ARE a bit high up..."

Meanwhile on the ground, Donnel looked up and spotted the two Pegasi, then smiling. "Hey! You girls! Hiya!" He waved.

"Donny! Less talking, more stabbing!" Sully called out, quickly taking down enemies with her silver lance. "You're gonna get mauled!"

"R-right! Sorry, sweet pea!"

The butch lady blushed. "Don't call me sweet pea..."

"My my. Donnel, you are very lucky to have stolen the heart of such a beautiful lady," Virion shot an arrow into a cavalier's neck, knocking him off of his horse.

"Keep talkin' like that and I'll literally steal your heart, ya fuck."

"GUYS?! GUYS?!... VAIKE. HELP ME," Kellam called laying flat on his back, his armor preventing him from getting up. Vaike pulled the man up on his feet, putting in a lot of effort.

"Gods... Dude. You're really friggin' heavy..."

"I-it's not me! It's my armor! I'm actually kinda skinny..." Kellam caught his balance, looking awkward as usual.

"Yes..." Miriel castes her Elfire spell, burning a myrmidon. "Normally, Vaikey-Poo would be able to lift armor of your size with ease. But with your added weight, it's become quite heavy."

"...Did... Did you just call him Vaikey-Poo...?"

"So, Captain, how ya doin?" Stahl asked, swinging his steel lance around.

"Fine." Chrom moved his Falchion will skill and grace, slashing it across the torso of a dark mage.

"Great. So, you talk to DeNile a lot, right?"

"Well, not really. She doesn't talk much, and when she does, it's almost too quiet to under-"

"Great. So, what does she like? Flowers? Chocolate? Candies? Or is she a girl that could eat a big meal? I could gladly buy an entire hog. Wait, isn't she a vegetarian? Yeah... Welp, looks like I'll have to buy an entire salad."

Frederick raised an eyebrow as he cut down a barbarian, smirking. "Oh... I did not know you had a romantic interest in your tactician..."

"Heh, what can I saw? She's hot and adorable, and the sound of her voice makes me wanna just melt..." Stahl said, biting his bottom lip at the very thought of the girl.

"I don't blame you, she is pretty cute. But I've got my eyes set on another girl," Chrom smiled, licking his lips.

"Really? Who?"

"Nope, not telling, that'd ruin the-"

"Sumia, I believe. Is that not what you told me a week ago, milord?"

"...Really, Frederick?"

"Hey!" Gaius ran up to the dragon, panting as he held his killing edge. "Ok, I'm here. You okay?"

"No! The entire day I've had people trying to either kill me or kidnap me! What's up with that?!" She groaned, burning a dark mage as she spoke.

"Must suck. I know how it is to have people after you. Anyway, I'm Gaius. What's your name?" The orange haired man asked, making sure no enemies were in range.

"Nowi..."

"Nowi, huh? Sounds cute. So, mind explaining how exactly you got into this situation?" Gaius asked, pursing his lips.

"We're kinda busy right now, that can be saved for a different time..."

Meanwhile, DeNile was cleaning up the rest of the few remaining troops, swinging his spear around. _Ok, Chalard... You are... There!_ "Hey, grandpa!"

"Huh?! Who are you calling grandpa, lass?! Let's see how you like the wrath of Grima!" The man ran up the skeleton of a dragon, DeNile running up the other end.

_Over_. As the two came close, DeNile jabbed his weapon into the spine, using it as a pole vault. Once over the dark mage, he placed his hand on his back, closing her eyes. _Bye bye_. In a moment, the man was impaled with dozens of icicles, blood dripping from each of them.

He fell to his knees, unable to breath. "L-Lord Grima... Please... Take my life force..." He fell flat on his face, then turning over and dropping into the carcass.

"Okay that's over with..." The tactician hopped off of the skeleton, stretching as the sun began to rise. "Ugh... I'm tired... Well now I have to meet up with everyone else, so..."

Nowi began to sob, her lip trembling. "This is just the worst day EVER!" She cried.

"Ho now, wee one. Do not make with the crying of the tears. The evil people are now dead people, yes? This is good, no?"

Nowi wiped her eyes as she sniffled, cheering up. "You... Oh, you're right. Thanks... And I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you earlier..." _Someone better put soap in her mouth_. "I just get nervous around people who are... outside my age group." _If my memory serves correct, that means anyone. That isn't a Manakete. Or... Well, a seaweed dragon._

"Age group? HA! Gregor much closer to age than others here!" The man laughed, his voice booming.

"Say..." Chrom awkwardly scratched his head. "Would you mind looking after her? We sort of need to press on."

"Hm..." Gregor stroked an imaginary beard. "Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead. True, Gregor just finish killing former employers, but still very reliable! So long as you try not to hurt little girl, Gregor will not hurt you. Also, need steady income. Many angry former employers..."

"Wait, you're a sell sword?" Asked Cordelia.

Gregor smiled, showing his surprisingly white teeth. "Yes! Very swell sword of a sell sword! Cost performance very high, you have word."

Chrom shrugged, putting on a poker face. "Eh, sure. I don't see why not."

Nowi's face went grim. "But-But what about me?! I WON'T go back on the auction block! I refuse!"

"Wait, you've been sold?" Lissa gasped. "Like a slave?!"

"To men more despicable than you can imagine... I won't go into details, but I managed to keep my uncanny valley pure!" '_Kay then..._

Lissa stamped her foot, clearly angry. "What kind of scumbags buy AND sell a little girl?! Even if she CAN turn into an awesome dragon..."

Donnel spoke up, raising a finger. "Well actually, from what ah heard, Manaketes live a mighty long time!"

"Really?" The princess titled her head. "How old are you?"

Nowi bit her thumb, thinking. "Um... Hm... Let's see... One thousand twenty three. But look! No wrinkles!"

"The dragonkin are said to be more resilient than men. She would make a strong Ally. Besides, it's not like we can risk her falling into the hands of the Grimleal." Frederick looked to Chrom, who nodded in agreement.

_Oh look, something I didn't read about. Unacceptable._ "U-um... Sorry if I sound stupid, b-but, who... who are the Grimleal?"

"Followers of the fell dragon, Grima. The selfsame dragon the first exalt defeated a thousand years ago. Even today some fools yearn for his return..." Frederick scoffed.

"Oh..."

Flavia cleared her throat, the khan drawing attention to herself. "We should get some rest, we're almost to the Plegian capital, whatever it's called. We'll need all of our strength, soon enough..."

* * *

><p><strong>Why must I torture myself? Another two in one chapter... Oh yeah. Next chapter is the most important (And my personal favorite) chapter of the story, but not for the reason you might think. It's also rather non-lengthy, which is odd for it's content, but whatever. Please, rate and review! ^^<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Bittersweet

Chrom, DeNile, Basilio, and Flavia all stood in a room when a spy ran in, looking forlorn. "The exalt is to be executed at the castle on the morrow. Heard it from the king's own lips, sire."

Basilio sighed, pacing back and forth. "This is it, then... Exactly what your predicted, DeNile..."

"Well, only so far... Tomorrow's the real deal."

"Please. Chin up, there! Show some confidence! It's your thinking that's got us this far. The plan may be risky, but only as much is called for," Flavia said, poking DeNile's forehead and earning a squeak.

"We'll find a way to see it through, De. Don't worry." _Chrom. Listen to me. Don't call me De. Don't._ "This time tomorrow, we'll be swapping stories with Emm on the way home, okay?"

"O-okay, I guess..."

Right in front of the castle, Emmeryn stood on the tip of a monument of Grima that was carved into the mountain, a barbarian behind her. Gangrel stood lower, clearing his throat. "Good people! Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome one and all! Your anticipation simply electrifies the air around us! We all remember the crimes of Ylisse!" He swiped his hand across the air. "Would you have their witch of a queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW?" The crowd before him cheered, clearly pumped up. "YES! Finally, we will have JUSTICE! EXECUTIONER!" He looked upwards. "If you would be so kind..."

"I've got him!" DeNile called, throwing his spear with all his might, luckily hitting the executioner in the chest, causing him to tumble off of the cliff. "All right! Everyone, now!"

The Shepherds assembled, all ready for combat. "Take out all the soldiers first! We'll deal with the bastard of a King later!" Chrom called, making sure Gangrel heard.

"Oh will you now? HA! We've been expecting, you little prince. Men: Kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his troops and his friends and HIS HOPES AND HIS DREAMS! KILL THEM AAAAAAAAAALLL!" _Ow. Gods, this guy needs to shut up..._

"So, what do we do?" Sumia asked, lance in hand.

The violet eyes spiraled into vision, enhancing the tactician's senses. "Well, do what he said. Kill them all, I guess."

First, a dark mage went down. Then a Wyvern rider, then a dark flier, then a myrmidon. The Shepherds were certainly fired up, which was clearly shown by their strength and sudden vigor. "Bianca, go. Try not to die." The bat flew off, speeding towards an enemy.

_Boom, thinking time. Sittin' down an thinkin'. Well actually, I'm standing. Sitting down would be a bad idea during a battle... In the sand... Wearing a robe. ANYWAY. Ok, so we've got the entire front lines covered. That means I should try to get to the entrance of Gangrel's fortress, right? After all, I should do my part. Ya know, clear out the enemies there. Yeah... Yeah, I'll do that. Woosh! DeNile... Away! _The tactician made a dash for it, maneuvering between anything in his path.

_Wheeee! I feel like I'm flying! Surprised I can move this fast in the sand. Then again, I AM as light as a feather. Wait, how much exactly does a feather weigh? I-... What the hell is wrong with you? This is a battle for the exalt's LIFE, and you're thinking of how much a feather weighs. Gods. I don't know who your parents are, but they'd be very disappointed in-_ "Woah."

That's when she saw her. The girl who just stood there, watching the combat, tome kept to her chest. Her long, raven hair fell perfectly to her forearms, her hair ornament keeping it in place. She was BARELY wearing anything, a two piece covered by a black, skin tight, see through suit. She was the very definition of beautiful.

And she was coming right at him.

DeNile shakily held out his spear, ready to fight if he had to... Ok, that's a lie. The women easily lowered DeNile's spear for him, then walking in circles around the tactician, scanning her. "Well someone's creepy..." She mumbled.

"D-DeNile...? Is... is that you?" She asked.

DeNile raised his eyebrow, looking around. "H-huh...? Do I... do I know you?"

She tilted her head, a confused look on her face. "Y-yeah... It's me, Tharja..."

_Who? _"Wait..." DeNile's eyes widened as he realized something, a smiling spreading across his face. "When did you last see me?!"

"T-two years ago... You don't remember me...?" Her eyes were sad, like she'd just lost a beloved pet.

DeNile shook his head, still smiling. "N-no, I have amnesia, sorry! But you KNEW me! Oh my gods, this is great!" _Someone from my past! This, this is wonderful! Oh, I have so many questions! _One of those questions was not why she was fighting for Plegia.

"Amnesia...? You... have amnesia?"

"Y-yeah! Where am I from? What was I like? Who were my p-"

"Then I can't tell you anything."

DeNile's heart instantly shattered upon hearing those words. "Y-you can't... why...?"

The girl sighed. "My name is Tharja... We used to know eachother. We fell in love..." _But why can't you tell me anything?! _"I don't want our love to be fake. I want to do it again. I want to get you to fall in love with me, and I can't influence your emotions in any way."

"WHY NOT?!"

"Because. It's my personal challenge. Now, I'm joining your army. Let's go," Tharja turned around and began to walk, tome in hand.

_My heart's telling me yes, but my brain's telling me to run. Heart, you run this show, so I'm trusting you._ "_Benedictite Glacies_!" The snowflake took out several Plegians, clearing a path.

"Ugh. I can't believe people haven't figured this out yet. _Magnificus Silentium_," Tharja placed a hand on DeNile's chest, both bodies becoming engulfed in a black mist, then the mist disappearing.

"...What in Naga's name was that?" DeNile asked.

"It's a hex. Magnificus Silentium, Magnificent Silence. It allows you to use spells without incantations, so you can keep your mouth shut the entire battle... Came up with it myself. I figured it would come it handy for you."

"Why thank you...!" Casting the Frost spell, he forced several shards of ice down several throats, once again taking out mass amounts.

"Hm. I see you like to take down many at once. I prefer one at a time..." Tharja said, taking out a single wyvern.

"Ok... Hey!" DeNile noticed that every wyvern rider and most ground units were taken out, leaving his plan open.

"DeNile! Their Wyverns have fallen! The skies are clear! I'm giving the signal!" Chrom called out. Just then, the Pegasus Knights of Ylisse all flew onto the battlefield, ready for combat.

_Phila!_ "Phila! I'm so glad to see you're safe!" Emmeryn said to the women before her, who was holding out her hand. "But how-"

"Khan Basilio's men freed me. Come, we must hurry!"

Gangrel groaned, facepalming. "AAAAGH! Pegasus knights? How did they... Ugh. That dames Ylissean tactician does NOT play fair!"

Aversa chuckled, raising a hand. "Heh heh. In that case, then neither do I," dozens of risen archers appeared, surrounding the Pegasus knights.

"Damn, not now!" Chrom cursed, gripping his Falchion tightly.

"BWAHAHAHAHAA! Oh, an army of walking corpses just APPEAR out if the blue? Truly, the heavens smile upon mighty King Gangrel this day? Bwahah!"

"PHILA! BIANCA!" Before the arrows could fly, Bianca slammed into her Pegasus, forcing it to the sand. "OH DEAR GODS, PHILA!" DeNile quickly ran over to his friend, kneeling down to her side. "Bianca, thank you! Phila, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, sweetie. But... My Pegasus knights..."

Gangrel groaned, facepalming again. "Using an animal to save a human? How pathetic of you. One may have escaped, but watch how the rest fall, one by one!"

Sure enough, each and every arrow connected with the Pegasus knights, their bodies falling to the ground, leaving just several red splashes. Phila attempted to scream, but all that emerged was a strained squeak. "No... No... No!" DeNile gritted his teeth, hitting his self in the head. "This is my fault, I failed!"

Chrom lost grip of his Falchion, his breathing slowing. "We've... Lost..."

"Hah! I believe this it what they call a reverse of fortunes!" Gangrel laughed, wiping a tear. "Now... Bow before me! Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"

Chrom looked up at the King, clearly angry. "I'd rather give up my life before I'd beg for it from you."

"Oh, now that's a good line, a fitting epitaph for your tombstone. But it's not just your life in the balance, the exalt still stands on the chopping block. All it would take is one word from me..."

"Emm! Hold on, I'm-"

"ARCHERS! If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let your arrows fly!" Gangrel cackled, looking at Emmeryn.

"I'll kill you you bastard!"

"Hah! Go ahead! I welcome it! Just know that you were responsible for your sister's bloody demise! ...And what of the rest of? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt?... No one? Bah! Your merry little band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"Fuck. You."

"Now now my little prince, no one needs to die today. Not you. Not the exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."

"...I..."

"Chrom! Think about this! You can't trust him!" DeNile shouted towards Chrom.

"I KNOW I can't trust him, I'm not an idiot, DeNile! But if I say no, he'll kill her! My sister or my duty... A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose..."

_Be smart, be smart..._ "Chrom, I know it's hard to admit, but it's the only choice. Compared to the lives of thousands, one person, ANY one person, is-"

"DON'T!... I know... Just... Don't say it..." Chrom balled his fist, biting his tongue.

Gangrel titled his head, intrigued. "Hmmm? What's this? You'll let your sister die to save some old family trinket? Oh, so delicious! I can't WAIT to hear what your people have to say about it. 'THE EXALT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE HER MURDERER!' Your halidom will collapse before you could even begin your rule..."

"We'll see about that when the time comes. But first, I'll see you dead."

"No, wait!" Emmeryn called.

"SILENCE!"

"Emmeryn..."

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" Emmeryn asked with sad eyes.

"You mean pointless babble? Mmmmm... Nah. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take on last look from your perch, bitch. You do so enjoy looking down on people. Then prepare to meet your maker! That is unless someone were to give me the emblem... NOW!"

"ALL RIGHT! Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. Maybe someday we'll face a crisis where maybe the emblem would've helped, but I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you TODAY. The people need their exalt, and we need our sister. If those dark days should ever come, we'll face them together." _That is a real stupid idea..._

"Chrom... Th-thank you. I know now what I must do..." Emmeryn took a single step forward. _Gods._

"Emm, what are you do-"

"Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred. From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As will I. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world."

"Emm, no! No!"

"Sis!"

"Your Grace!"

_Welp_. All watched as the exalt leaned forward, then falling towards the ground. The moment seemed to last a lifetime... And then...

"Emm..." Chrom fell to his knees, tears in his eyes.

"Oooh... Well... That kinda happened..." DeNile could feel Phila's heart race, tears streaming down her face.

"DAMN YOU GANGREL!" Chrom yelled, completely enraged.

"NO!" Lissa cried out, Maribelle forcing her to stay in place.

"HA! Well now... How disgustingly noble. And so graceful a fall! Here I thought death was an ugly thing... Ah. So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted? But how can we assure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and out it an display... Heh."

"Gangrel! You die today!" Chrom spat.

Basilio and Flavia then rushed in, out of breath. "No! Chrom, I secured an escape route!" Basilio cried. "We have to flee!"

"B-but... Her body... I have to..."

"Run! You have to run! Now do it! DeNile, don't let him do anything stupid!"

"R-right! Phila, Tharja, let's go!" DeNile led the two women away from the battle field swiftly. As he ran, he noticed that everyone, not counting him or Tharja, of course, was crying. Then he came to a horrifying conclusion...

_Everyone's crying... yet I'm not._

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Important chapter, but not because Emmeryn died or anything... yeah... So, I'll go into more detail about Tharja later, but it's pretty obvious what's gonna happen between her and DeNile. Anyway, I decided to save Phila for one reason: SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. She is easily the least most important character in the game. And why was no one upset over her dying, especially Cordelia? Also the sole reason I even put Bianca into the story is so she could do that... talk about a plot device.<strong>

**Don't forget to rate and review! ^^**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Love

_What's wrong with me? My friend's older sister, THE RULER OF OUR NATION, just died, and I'm not crying. What the hell, DeNile? You saved Phila, who's just the captain of the Pegasus knights, yet let Emmeryn plunge to her death. You're an awful person..._

_Don't be so hard on yourself. You used quick thinking and saved Phila, because she's your friend. After all, she's been there for you since your first day awake._

_No! You saved Phila only a second before she was skewered, you knew Emmeryn was going to jump WAY before she actually did it!_

_But what could you have done? Bianca's not exactly a super bat, Emmeryn would have fallen regardless!_

_Well, what matters is that she could've tried! You worthless, pathetic, little-_

"It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking."

"H-Hm...?" DeNile looked to Tharja, who was simply staring at the ground, which was muddy from the rain. "W-what... What do you mean?"

"Hm. Now that we're out of battle, your timidness has returned. Interesting... Anyway, I can tell. You're shaking, tripping over nothing, and you keep glancing over to... Phila. You couldn't have done anything."

"..." The boy sighed, sadness filling his eyes. "I know... But it wasn't my actions then, it was the overall strategy. Ph-Phila almost died because of me..."

Phila was silent, simply jogging, while everyone else was running. "Hey, not everything can go your way. Life's tough..."

The Shepherds boarded the carriages that Basilio had prepared, set for a bumpy road... Well, all except Chrom. The prince chose to continue running alongside the carriages, crying. "Chrom, please! You have to get on!" Sumia told him, reaching out.

"I'm... I'm coming..." Chrom took her hand and was pulled into the carriage, then sitting down. "Emm... Emmeryn..."

In another carriage, Lissa was sobbing into Maribelle's dress, arms around her neck. "Gods... Oh gods why...?"

"Darling, darling, please... I know you're hurting, but everything... everything will be okay," Maribelle said, stroking Lissa's hair.

In DeNile's carriage, a pink haired women exited from one of the sub rooms, looking around. "Olivia! There you are, sorry we kept you waiting." Basilio said, looking to the woman.

"When I didn't hear from you, I thought... I assumed the worst," Olivia sighed, sitting down next to the buff man.

"Chrom, DeNile, meet Olivia. She'll be smuggling us out of here. Bid farewell to this Plegian hellhole."

DeNile looked to his albino friend, who was still horrified from the events of the day. "...Ph-Ph-Phila...? Are you... Are you okay?" He asked, rubbing Phila's back.

"I... I... Emmeryn..." Phila deeply exhaled, clearly upset. "I'm fine, Sweetie. Don't worry about me..."

"Captain Phila?" A long haired, blonde... Man? Looked to the woman with sympathetic eyes. "I give you my condolences... Oh! Tactician, I don't believe we've met. My name is Libra. Chrom recruited me before... you know... Pleased to meet you."

"H-hi... You're a man, right?" Libra nodded, smiling. "O-oh... Well, hello. I'm DeNile."

"What a lovely name. And what of you, milady?"

Tharja scoffed, looking down. "Why should you care...?" _Well that was a change in attitude._

"Well, I believe that it is proper to know the names of all people you are in a room with. However, if you choose to withhold, I will forgive you." _My gods, this guy is nice._

"...Tharja."

"Well, pleased to meet you, Tharja. I understand that you-"

"Can we..." Phila sighed. "...Can we just... Remain quiet? For the rest of the trip? I really can't... Just... Ugh."

"As you wish, Captain..."

* * *

><p>Castle Ferox, main room. The entire Shepherd army were there, most looking grim and sad. DeNile sighed, his eyes half closed. "All of that... For nothing!"<p>

Lissa tightly gripped Maribelle's dress, crying into it. "I should have died before allowing the exalt to be captured... I have failed as a knight..." Frederick sighed.

Flavia tapped her foot, biting her bottom lip. "So... What now? We don't exactly have much options."

"Don't look at me, I'm not in charge!"

Flavia groaned, facepalming. "Well, looks like I picked an excellent time to regain the throne..."

"S-s... I'm so sorry, Chrom. My plan... It failed..."

"You did your best, DeNile. You have my thanks..." Chrom trembled. "It's my own failures that haunt me now. Gods, I was so powerless!"

"It's not your fault either, Chrom," Maribelle said, holding Lissa's head.

"No... She did it for me. So that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of either choice, she chose for me. She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save Ylisse..."

"H-hey... I was once powerless, too, remember? And yes, alone, I don't think either one if us is half the person Emmeryn was. But together... maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for her ideals, we'll all be by your side. You don't have to BE her, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can. And if you aren't worthy, then you're keep at it until you are. And if we both fall down, then..." DeNile looked at all of the Shepherds, smiling at every one of them. "Well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?"

Chrom smiled, looking at his merry band of heroes. "Thank you all, truly. You honor me with your fighting strength. I will not falter again. We shall answer this outrage! The mad king must be stopped!"

"Right!" Flavia shouted. "It's time for Gangrel to get a dose of his own vulnerary! The rest of the Feroxi army is yours to send crashing against him!"

"Count me in!" Said Basilio.

"I'd like to go, too, if I may. I'd love to help Ylisse! Although I'm not too good using a sword..."

"She's too modest!" Basilio laughed. "Olivia is a Feroxi treasure. You won't meet a finer dancer in all the realms. Her move inspire soldiers work twice as hard! You'd do well to being her along, Commander."

Chrom raised an eyebrow, smirking. "'Commander'? What happened to 'boy'?"

"You've earned your way up from that name. Now, Flavia will lead me and the other Feroxi in a head-on assault. That should buy you enough time to take down Gangrel. Hear that, Chrom? You get the fun part! Now, you and DeNile have my every confidence. You're a born leader, and he/she has a knack for guiding troops to victory. You both have some growing to do yet, but I can already see you'll grow tall."

"Thanks, Basilio. We'll strike... In two days. We need the time to get ready. Most of us haven't slept in hours... We need some rest. This time... I'm ready to dethrone the Mad King, once and for all."

* * *

><p><em>So then I'll have Vaike take out the bundle of archers to his right... Nowi will lift Gaius up to Sumia's level, meanwhile Donnel and Sully-<em> "DeNile."

"WAAAAAAH!" The boy flew back in his chair, flailing his arms around to prevent himself from falling off. After a few seconds, he leaned forward, heart in his throat. "H-hi, Tharja... May I help you?"

"Yes, actually..." The raven haired girl pulled DeNile's chair out from under his desk, frightening the frail and timid tactician. She then began to circle the chair, making DeNile noticeably uncomfortable. "I have a question."

"W-w-um..." She brushed back her hair. "What is it?"

"I need to know your definition of love," Tharja's gloomy face turned to a smile, her cheeks rosy. "For... research... Yeah."

Tharja wasn't the only one blushing. "Well... It's when you like someone a lot..."

The duo waited in silence for a while, until Tharja rose an eyebrow. "That's it? No 'never wanting to be apart'? No 'when you feel like the person completed you'? Just... Someone you like a lot." DeNile nodded, biting his lip. "...Hm. That's not good enough."

"Not... Good enough? Sorry, I don't know much about it. Afterall, closest experience I've had with it is Donnel and Sully... And Vaike and Miriel, but I'm closer to Donny. Although, Gaius and Nowi seem to be getting along pretty well. It's kind of cu-"

**_He's such an idiot... When it comes to stuff like this. An adorable idiot, but an idiot nonetheless_**. Tharja sighed, shaking her head. "Look, here's MY definition of love." Tharja stopped behind the chair and put her hands on DeNile's shoulders. She then sighed, pursing her lips. "To an extent, yes, it is what you said. But it's a lot more than that. It's when you'd die for that special person. It's when every second you're apart, your heart hurts. It's when they're the first thing in your head when you wake up, and the last thing you think of when you go to sleep."

DeNile's eyes looked saddened, like he'd just been told her puppy had died. "It sounds... Painful."

"..." Tharja stood in silence, her usually annoyed eyes also becoming more soft. "Yes... It is painful. You never want to do anything to hurt that person... And when you do, you feel like dying. But when the other person doesn't WANT you to die, that's when you know that it's true love."

After a long pause, DeNile cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Th-Tharja?"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"...Can you get off of me?" The two were laying on the floor, Tharja laying atop of DeNile, both with completely red faces.

"As much as I don't want to..." Tharja rose, allowing DeNile to do the same. "Any new ideas?"

"Mm... Well, I have a pretty good understanding of it, thanks to you..." DeNile put his hands behind his back and drew the top of his boot across the stone floor, looking down and smiling.

Tharja giggled, lifting DeNile's chin with her finger. "Now, I need another favor."

"Mhm..."

"Cancel all of your classes with Miriel."

DeNile frowned, eyebrows slanting. "What? W-why?"

"Because. I'll be your teacher from now on. We can learn ALL about... Well..." Tharja bit her bottom lip, putting on a seductive tone. "Anything you want…"

DeNile had a poker face at this point, his face boiling red. He shakily nodded, agreeing to the dark mage's proposition. "Great. Classes start tomorrow. For now, be a good girl and get some rest, okay?" The silver haired boy once again nodded. "Good. Goodnight, DeDe."

"G-Goodnight, Thar..." The door closed, leaving DeNile in the room by herself.

_Did... Did you just call her Thar? _"Well, she called me DeDe..."

* * *

><p><em>THIS WAS A BAD IDEA. WHY DID YOU AGREE TO THIS? IDIOT. DeNile donned a silver dress lent to him by one of his only female friends, Panne. He was willing to bet the dress didn't BELONG to her, but he wasn't one for many questions... Ok, that's a lie.<em>

_The tactician could remember how the conversation went just hours earlier. DeNile had went to Tharja's room for a class, yet their were no books. Instead..._

_"Oh, DeNile. Question."_

_"Y-yeah?"_

_"How about instead of having class now, we go on a date later?"_

_"H-huh?! W-well, I-Um-"_

_"It's fine if you don't want to. I'll just sit in my room... Alone... Working on some sort of hex as usual..."_

_"N-no! It's fine! I-I'll go!"_

_"Really? *giggle* Great! Meet me in the ballroom of the castle at... Hm... Eight. See you then! Or you can stay for a little preview of what's to come~"_

He bolted. Now, she stood before a mirror, a white rose in hand. _I dunno... My um... "Nether regions" are a bit uncomfortable in a dress... I'll just ignore it_.

After making sure she looked presentable, the effeminate tactician calmly walked to the ballroom, seeing Tharja sitting down at a table in the center of the room. She donned a black, sparkly dress that complimented her figure. Her eyes looked a lot less darker than usual, and she was actually smiling. To DeNile, she looked gorgeous.

One thing that did disappoint was one of DeNile's favorite parts about her: Her hair ornament. She had removed it in order to pull her hair back into a pony-tail, which looked admittedly cute.

"I figured you'd be wearing a tuxedo of some sort. You know, for a special occasion," Tharja said once DeNile sat down. Before the timid boy had a chance to respond, Tharja answered herself. "Whatever. I think you look cute in a dress."

"Th-thank you... I think you look beautiful..." Tharja giggles, flustered. Out of nowhere, she got up and began circling the table, keeping an eye on DeNile. "Um... Do you always do that?"

"Hm? Do what?"

DeNile bit his lip, flattening his dress. "It's just that... Every time we meet, you circle me. No offense, but it's kind of creepy."

Tharja stopped, biting the inside of her cheek. "Have I? Sorry, bad habit." She sat down once more, staring at DeNile. "So, what would you like to eat?"

"Um... Fruit salad. But how-" DeNile cut her sentence short when a plate appeared in front of her, emerging from a black mist. She was served slices of oranges, watermelon, apple slices, and grapes. "H-how did you...?"

"Don't be surprised if I do anything out of the ordinary. I'm a dark mage, we have our ways." The woman began to tap her fingernails on the table, hand on her face.

"Aren't you going to eat anything...?"

Tharja shrugged, shaking her head. "I'm watching my figure." _You're kidding. You have the body of a goddess. Hell, you're more beautiful than how the legends describe Naga... Oh dear gods I'm going to die now aren't I? _"Stop thinking to yourself. If you have something to say, say it. It's cute, but it can get annoying."

"Sorry..."

"It's fine," Tharja said, sighing. "So, what do you want to talk about?" The boy answered by shrugging and slowly taking a bite of an apple slice. "Hm. Alright. I'm normally the submissive one, but I can make do..." After thinking of a topic for a while, Tharja finally spoke. "So, are you a virgin?"

DeNile nearly choked on a grape, his face going fully red. "W-wha?!"

"You heard me. I don't like to repeat myself."

"U-um... I d-dunno..." _I feel dirty._

Tharja sighed, biting her bottom lip. "Right, you're male. No real way to tell now is there? ... Aren't you going to ask me if-"

"N-no!" DeNile shook his head, looking down. "I-I wouldn't want to be rude."

Tharja waved a hand, shaking her head. "I don't mind. The answer is yes. Never really felt comfortable with it. Well, I've only ever had one other significant other."

"Who?"

"You."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Tharja took a grape off DeNile's plate and popped it into her mouth, eyes locked on the adorable, feminine boy. "So, what are some things you want to know about your past?"

DeNile crinkled his nose, not sure what to say._ I thought she wasn't gonna tell me..._ "Well... I want to know my birthday, age, who my parents were, where I'm from, if I have any siblings, last name, and just generally things about me."

Tharja sighed, cracking her neck. "December seventh, seventeen, can't say, can't say, can't say, can't say, and I can't really give an answer for that."

"Mmm..."

"Oh..."

"You're welcome," Tharja said as she sat up straight.

"So... I was born in December, and it's August now. I didn't really expect to be eighteen, mostly around fifteen... Hm. I wonder what other things you know about me."

Tharja didn't say anything for about a minute, then smiled. "You've stopped stuttering."

"Huh?" DeNile titled his head in confusion. "Oh... I guess I have. Wonder why..."

"It was cute."

"Is everything about me cute?"

"Yes, but there are a select few that are just adorable~" _OH GODS HAS SHE SEEN ME SHOWER. WAIT... IS THAT AN INSULT?_ "Anyway, people tend to break bad habits while around people they like a lot... Do you like me a lot, DeNile?"

DeNile swallowed, not being sure what to say. _Well, you're creepy, a stalker, and kind of seem mentally ill in terms of sociology. But you're super nice to me, have a cute voice, and you're crazy hot... Oh dear, did that seem shallow of me? _"Yeah... I like you, Tharja."

Tharja's smile turned into a wide grin, and her eyes became full of hope. "... A lot?"

"..." The boy nodded. "A lot."

The stalker's eyes shimmered, her skin seeming to glow. "Do you... Love me?"

"Well, I've known you for a day and a half, so I can't exactly say that..." DeNile and Tharja both giggled, Tharja leaning forward.

"Well..." She ate the last thing on DeNile's plate, an orange slice. "You will soon enough."

"We'll see about that."

The plate disappeared, both parties standing up as the table also became shrouded in a black mist, disintegrating. "You don't mind if I sleep in your bed with you tonight, do you?"

DeNile's smile grew wider, chuckling. "Not at all. Just no inappropriate touching, and we'll be fine."

Tharja took hold of the slightly taller person's arm, rubbing her cheek against it. "I can't make any promises, my love~"

_Well that was fun. You know, I've been so bent up over the concept of love lately. Have I finally found it? Is it possible to find love in a crazy hot stalker that thinks your genitals are adorable? Eh... Meh. Only one way to find out. Patience, my sweet DeNile. Patience._

* * *

><p><strong>Tharja impression. "Yay, filler." Rate and review, you guys! :3<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Fall of A Mad Man

"Tee hee. They look so cute sleeping!"

"Aw, how sweet."

"That pun wasn't funny, Gaius."

"I thought it was pretty funny..."

"Well you're Ricken. Dickens don't count."

"Awww."

"Quiet, everyone. DeNile is awakening."

The tactician's eyes slowly opened, a few of his friends coming into sight. Nowi was piggybacking Gaius, while Ricken stood next to Lissa. Libra was in the front, bending over to look at DeNile. "Good morning, DeNile. Did you sleep well?"

"Y-yeah..." He turned his head and saw Tharja in her underwear, arms slung around him. "...Huh."

"Heh. I don't know how anyone COULDN'T sleep well with someone like that attached to their back," Gaius smirked, causing Nowi to pout a bit.

"I'd probably just struggle to be released..." Ricken said, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah yeah," Lissa yawned. "Come on, both of you. We're ready to move."

"Yeah!" Nowi cheered. "Let's go kick some evil king ass!"

"I notice that you swear a lot." Gaius looked back at the short dragon behind him.

"It's a bad habit."_ Looks like we all have bad habits..._

* * *

><p>The beautiful scenery of the Plegian castle was ruined by two evil people, Aversa and Gangrel, both standing right outside. "The enemy has taken field, milord."<p>

Gangrel scoffed, shaking his head. "Took them long enough. I was beginning to wonder if they were even going to TRY to take revenge."

"Our scouts report they are in surprisingly good spirits, especially the tactician. Also, Tharja, the soldier that disappeared on the day the exalt died? Yeah, she's with them," Aversa sighed as she spoke, shaking her head.

Gangrel put on a scowl, cursing. "Traitorous bitch... No matter. She will be dead soon enough. Besides, what does it matter? They're like beggars with daggers compared to us! I could break their ranks as easily as I break wind."

"Oh, I'd love to hear the songs the bards make out of that..."

"Say something?"

"No, milord."

"Aversa..." Gangrel kicked the dirt. "There is a truth about the world that this Ylissean whelp must learn. A man is either strong, or he is dead! Bwa ha haaaa!"

Gangrel's laugh was interrupted by a soldier approaching him, grim look on her face. "Your highness, dire news! Our troops are laying down their weapons and deserting en masse!"

Upon hearing the news, Gangrel drew his sword slowly, looking quite upset. "P-please Sire, I am but a messenger. Have mercy..."

Meanwhile with the Shepherds, Frederick returned from a quick scouting trip, looking very pleased. "Milord, I have a report from Khan Flavia. The Plegian army is in disarray. It seems many of their soldiers are opposed to further violence. There has been infighting, desertion, and a few suicides. Gangrel is trying to stamp out the mutiny by force, but with very little success. Outside a few, his army had collapsed."

Chrom rose an eyebrow and smiled. "This is incredible news... But why?"

"Emmeryn." DeNile quickly said, then shutting his mouth immediately.

"Yes, DeNile. Emmeryn. The report says Gangrel's troops chant her name as they abound on the field. Her sacrifice has made her a folk hero of sorts..."

"...Why did it take me so long to realize?" Chrom smacked his head. "She believed all people desire peace, no matter how wicked. She knew that the Plegians wanted it, too. It just took her life to make them act upon it..." DeNile smiled as Tharja took her arm, hugging her close. "I hope she can see this, wherever she is... Today we put an end to Mad King Gangrel and bring peace back to the land."

The Shepherd army marched onto the battlefield, only to see about thirty troops. _This is good. Less of a risk of death._ On the opposite side of the field, Gangrel stood, Levin Sword in hand. "Why hello there, Princey! Still dreaming of your splattered sister?" He called.

"No more talk. Today, you die. I will bring peace to Ylisse and Plegia," _well actually, according to the strategy everyone's going by, I will._

"What a hypocrite!" Gangrel laughed, holding his head. "You despise me! You want to shove your sword into my belly and twist it over and over again! You don't know the first thing about peace! Nobody does!"

"He knows more than you ever will!" DeNile saw his vision turn purple, and saw Tharja begin to shiver.

"You're cold all of the sudden..."

"More than me? More than ME?!" Gangrel laughed, holding his stomach. "First off you little BITCH, do not speak unless spoken to. Second, he IS me! When life asks him a question, he answers with blood!"

"Maybe you're right, but Chrom's different from Emmeryn! He can't forgive men like you, men who are pure evil! I'll be honest, if he were alone, he would've been driven to madness or worse. But he has us! Friends and family! All you have are your underlings and that annoying little left hand woman!" DeNile's words were icy, like he'd just been stabbed in the back. They were also fierce, like he was ready for a colossal battle.

"...Are you done? May I vomit now? What bullshit! Men are beasts! Nothing more! We fight, we kill, and we devour our prey! Beasts do not stand beside beasts, little girl. They have eachother only so long as it suits their own selfish purpose!"

"And maybe this explains why your own soldiers refuse to stand beside a monster like you? You are pure poison! A festering wound! We'll do what Emmeryn couldn't, bring you to your deathbed!"

Gangrel simply sighed, making a sour face. "Such a clever tongue you have, missy. It will look quite fetching hanging on my mantle, next to your little girlfriend's head!"

"Oh look, King Gangrel noticed me. I feel so special..." Tharja said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I've had enough of this. Everyone, begin!" The Shepherds cheered, all charging forward.

Ricken hopped up on Cordelia's Pegasus. Gaius rode a dragon Nowi to the sky, while Chrom and Sumia flew forward. _That's the sky troops down._ "Remember the strategy, everyone!" DeNile called, her spear springing to life.

Stahl, Frederick, and Sully charged forward. Donnel, Vaike, and Miriel fought together. Lissa, Maribelle, and Kellam worked great together. Lissa hacked away with her silver axe, Kellam was practically indestructible, and Maribelle had nearly mastered using tomes as a Valkyrie. Panne had traded her usual partner, Gaius, for Virion, who covered her from afar with his arrows. Lon'qu stayed close, finishing off anyone she didn't completely kill.

_And then the last three are..._ "DeNile, Tharja, are you both prepared? It would be unwise to go into battle not sure of yourself."

"Ugh. I'm fine, obviously. Are you ready, DeDe?" Tharja asked, practically ignoring Libra's question.

"Mhm. Remember, stay close. On my orders, we strike," the three tear drop like symbols on DeNile's eyes shrunk for a second, then expanded to their normal size. However, they looked for like splatters of liquid than tear drops. "One... Two... Go!"

-_Barbarian to my left. Has a throwing axe, aiming for Lon'qu. 90% chance of hitting him in the head. Bad lungs-_

_Gods, I feel like I did when the purple vision thing first flared up, but this is important. Might as well listen to this one._ A large stream of snow erupted from DeNile's hand, completely burying the man. Libra swung his axe expertly, hitting his target every time. Tharja was careless. However, she also worked diligently.

-_Archer directly behind Lissa, arrow poised. Kellam and Maribelle too distracted to notice. Has a week spot on the back of his right knee-_

"Crap!" DeNile pondered whether she should take action, or call out to Maribelle or Kellam. _No, that won't work. The arrow's already poised. He'll let go in a heartbeat._

Mustering up the correct strength, she made a pillar of ice erupt from under the archer, causing his arrow to fly into the air. She casted her freeze spell, encasing his head in ice. The man flailed around for about twenty seconds, then stopped moving.

"Nice one, sweetie," Tharja smirked while a nearby swordsman became encased in a black mist, blood then erupting from the cloud.

_That reminds me... Fuck. DeNile, you idiot. You haven't even bothered to check on Phila these past few days. When if she's all torn up over Emmeryn? _

-_Sniper on a wyvern ninety metres up. Arrow aimed at Libra. Arrow fired-_

"Shit!" DeNile watched an arrow sink into Libra's calf, causing the priest to call out in agony. "Crap. Libra, how hurt are you?"

"Agh... I'm fine. Let me just..." Libra pulled out the arrow, grunting. A green light engulfed his calf, the wound closing and energy returning. "There. All better..." Just then, the archer came crashing down in front of the trio, gasping for air.

"G-Gods! Th-that... Agh!" The archer vomited, pure blood emerging. "F-fucking... P-Pegasus..." He let out another cry just before a two ton scaly beast fell down, crushing him.

-_Lon'qu has been stabbed in his stomach. Close to death. Mages closing him on him. Panne and Virion no where to be found. Very low chance of survival-_

"Son of a- Libra! South a couple metres, Lon'qu needs healing. Be wary, mages almost surrounding him," she stabbed a myrmidon in the torso, flipping him onto his back, then stomping on his throat as Libra sprinted away.

-_Nowi hit in the wing with lightning. Nowi healed by Lissa. Disregard. Wyvern currently attacking Vaike, Miriel is failing to kill it-_

One fling of the spear ended the wyvern's life.

-_Stahl has his throat slit and is missing an arm. Sully is tending to him, but failing. Frederick was forced to run off. They are safe from enemies-_

"OH SHIT. Tharja, stay here!"

"Where are you-"

DeNile quickly sprinted north, soon arriving at the scene. Sully had tear stained cheeks as her hands hovered over Stahl frantically. "Gods. What happened?"

"H-he! I-I didn't see the blade in time. I managed to save him from decapitation by tripping the guy, b-but-"

Why didn't you warn me?! "Sully, go. I'll handle this." Sully nodded, sadly running back to her horse. "Okay, okay. Stahl, you're gonna be fine. You're gonna be-"

-_Stahl has died. Cause of death: Suffocation-_

"..." The boy sighed, looking at the body. "...Stahl. Son of a-... Fuck. No, no, no..." _He can't be dead. No. The guy's a huge fucking creep, but he's a Shepherd. No fucking way I'm letting him die. Kellam'll be crushed. I-I..._

"Is he dead?"

"Tharja! I told you to- Oh damn it all You're a dark mage, can you do anything?" DeNile asked, on his knees.

"Mhm," Tharja nodded, "it'll take about... ten seconds."

"Then do it! Please!" Her teeth were chattering, her skin now a light tint of blue.

Tharja raised an eyebrow, curious of her love's sudden change in skin tone. "Okay... Let me just..." Stahls body become shrouded in a dark fog for a couple seconds, then the fog lifted. Surprisingly, his arm had been reattached.

"Ugh... My throat hu-... Wait, I'm alive? Holy shit! I'm alive! M-my arm! I-" Stahl squeezed his arm, a wide smile on his face.

"No time to be glad, Stahl. Sorry. Grab your weapon and you horse, then-"

-_Vaike broke his axe, currently fighting with his fists. Donnel and Miriel covering him. Retrieved an axe. Disregard-_

_These are getting annoying. Helpful, but annoying._ "Then go on and fight."

Tharja sighed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You might feel a bit dazed for a while. It should wear off soon enough..."

"Th-Th-Thank you!" Stahl stumbled to his feet and ran as best as he could to his horse, lance in hand.

"Thanks, Thar. We should get back to the battlefield." **_She thanked me!_ _Aaaw, she must really love me! I have to bring more people back from the dead!_**

"Ricken, take out the wyvern!" Cordelia called, Ricken holding onto her waist with one hand. The young boy casted his Arcwind spell, knocking a wyvern right out of the sky, the wing knocking another wyvern rider off of his mount.

"Killing two birds with one stone! Yes!" Ricken exclaimed, laughing.

"Woooah! Nowi, steady!" Gaius called, standing on top of a dragon Nowi as he shot at dark fliers with his bow.

"Sorry, Gaius! It's kinda hard to fly with FUCKING ARCHERS PELTING YOUR BELLY!" Nowi engulfed several archers on the cliff side in green dragon fire, burning up the spirit.

DeNile was back in action, spinning his spear and piercing Plegian soldiers left and right. "Hey... Is that Tharja? Tharja! There's a Ylissean to your right!" Another dark mage called out.

"Ugh. Mydred. Hated that guy..." A not so manly scream was let out as Tharja ended his life, gaining some of her lost energy back.

"Right. Now-"

"HEY! DENILE! EVERYTHING'S READY, WE NEED TO SWAP NOW!" Cordelia said, coming at the ground quickly.

"Seriously?! Agh. Tharja, I'm going to have to go. Ricken will be your new partner for now."

"But-"

"Stay safe!" Cordelia almost reached the ground when Ricken slid off, rolling on the sand. DeNile grabbed Cordelia's hand as she pulled up, once again soaring into the sky.

DeNile made no effort to get fully on the Pegasus, instead grasping the hand of the redhead Pegasus knight. "Are you sure you want to do this? It might be dangerous."

"You say that while I'm holding your hand dozens of metres into the sky. And have you forgotten that we're on a battlefield?" DeNile asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no, but he had the advantages-"

"Cordelia."

"Yes?"

"Try not to die," the boy let go of Cordelia's hand, high up from the nearest source of ground, which was the cliff right next to the castle.

_Okay. I figure I can withstand this. Let's hope I'm right..._

-_Gangrel is standing at the edge of the cliff, watching over the battle-_

_Great_! DeNile then stabbed into the cliff, spinning on his spear to slow himself down. His feet finally touched the ground as he stood up straight, coming face to face with Gangrel.

"Well well well. Look what we have here! The irrelevant, amnesiac, tactician. I expected the prince, I'd prefer to kill him first. But you'll do, I suppose." The King drew his levin sword, the blade cackling with electricity.

DeNile scoffed, the teardrop symbols beginning to rotate. "I wouldn't count on it. And this isn't going to be a conversation. It's your death!" The girl dashed at him with a burst of speed, similar to a cheetah.

"Whatever you say!" The boy was immediately struck by a stream of lighting, knocking her back. _Son of a- FUCK! _Before he could get up, Gangrel summoned another blast of lightning.

"Such a coward!" The spear in hand was then thrown at the King, catching him in the pelvis and causing him to cry out.

"Gyah! Stupid idiot girl..." He removed the spear from his body, throwing it over the cliff.

"YAH!" DeNile's fist caught Gangrel's jaw, his knee then catching his side. He elbowed him in the throat, temporarily paralyzing him.

Gangrel jabbed at him, but missed, resulting in a kick to the stomach. The tables turned when Gangrel placed a hand on his chest, then releasing pure electricity into him, causing him to scream. "Not so cocky now, are you?"

"_C-Comminuet Autem_!" Gangrel's arm shattered as if it was glass, DeNile gritting her teeth and grabbing her new spear.

Gangrel simply tripped the tactician, still in a grueling amount of pain. "Y-you..."

DeNile turned on his back, then rising up on his hand and pushing upwards, now on his feet. The boy smashed the spear across of Gangrel's head, dazing him. "You son of a bitch! What makes you think you can just murder someone and get away with it?!"

"She killed herself, you fool! And I'm KING! Do you know the definition of the word KING?!" Gangrel laughed, zapping DeNile's eye.

"You... You are no king. No, no king is as cowardly as you." DeNile stomped on Gangrel's hand, most likely crushing it. "No King is as crazy as you." He kicked him in the chin, breaking a few teeth and causing his tongue to bleed. Gangrel stood up, ball of electricity in his hands and anger in his eyes. "You are no king. You..."

DeNile simply caught the electric sphere, squeezing it until it was nothing. Gangrel ran at him, sword in hand. "You... Mad King..."

"Are a dictator." Not even two seconds later, a spear of ice was in Gangrel's stomach, the King leaning over the edge of the cliff, courtesy of DeNile. "It's ironic, isn't it? She died by falling, and so will you." Gangrel muttered something, not really being audible do to his strained throat, missing teeth, and and swollen tongue. Also the mouth full of blood. "Speak."

"You... Fool. I-I will die alone... No different from you. Every man lives and dies... Alone," Gangrel spoke, tears on his cheeks, mixed with blood.

"...Don't be such a pessimist." DeNile's eyes gleamed, the teardrops rotating rapidly. "_Benedicite Glacies Ultricies._"

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGH!" The King shouted, a large pain in his stomach. The pain spread to his chest, then his lower half, and then it happened. His body began to literally become ice, his torso transparent. "W-WHAT IS THIS?"

The transformation stopped just before his head, DeNile sighing. "Your death will be a painful one. King Gangrel..."

"Adieu..."

Chrom watched from the ground as the man he hated the most fell from the tallest cliff in the realm, relief rushing over him. "Chrom, Plegian troops are surrendering en masse!" Basilio called, trekking over to the prince.

"Tell the Shepherds to stop fighting at once... We've won."

_...Finally. No, I survived that jump here, so- _"Don't even think about it. That's a stupid idea."

DeNile turned around to see Cordelia, arm outstretched. "Come on, I'll give you a ride... We won. Thank you."

"Yes! Yes! We won!" Lissa jumped up and down on the way back to Ylisse, overwhelmed with joy. "I can't believe it! We killed that son of a bitch!"

"Gregor is not very sure if 'won' yet. He think that war not over."

"Why of course," Frederick told him, "there's still more to ending a war than killing their commander in chief. But Sire and I will tend to that..."

Nowi shook with excitement, a wide grin on her face. "Yay!" She jumped on Gaius' back, then kissing his cheek. "Thanks for your strategy, DeNile! Really fucking smart!"

_Wow, language._ "I- um... Y-you're welcome. I worked really hard on it..."

Panne simply smiled and looked at the tactician, Libra by her side. "Well, it certainly paid off. Maybe more than just one human isn't a complete idiot..." Panne nudged Libra's arm, causing the priest to blush.

Maribelle smirked, surprised. "Wait wait wait! Now that this DREADFUL war is over, I see a few lovebirds! Let's go over them, shall we?"

"Well I don' know 'bout y'all, but I got my honeysuckle right 'ere!" Donnel said, pulling Sully closer to him and causing the butch woman to blush.

"You may have your honey-whatever, but I've got my big, strong, candy man!" Nowi poked Gaius' cheek, both laughing.

"I'm gonna marry a dragon. Mom, it's not a doctor, but... she's a dragon."

"Well technically I'm marrying a rabbit," Panne poked Libra's sides, Libra chuckling, "so I've got you beat. We have plans to get married quite soon, actually..."

"Soon? Cool! I bet the wedding will be amaze-hey!" Cordelia took Ricken's hat off and put it on, giggling. "Aw come on..."

"Now, we already know about Vaike and Miriel, so anyone else?" Lissa looked around, not seeing any heads nod.

"Well, we WERE going to keep it a secret, buut..." Sumia hugged Chrom close to her, stopping the march.

Chrom grinned, not able to keep in his joy. "We were planning for the wedding to be tomorrow..."

Squees-mostly from the girls-filled the area. "Oh my gosh! My big brother's getting married!" Lissa cheered, a wide grin on her face.

"Woah! Didn't know you had it in ya, Chrom!" Vaike chuckled, patting Chrom's back.

"Congrats, you two!" Cordelia smiled. "Especially you, Sumia! Oh, they grow up so fast..."

"Cordelia, I'm older than-"

"SO FAST."

Chrom laughed, a grin on his face. "Yes, very fast... You're all invited to the wedding, if you want to come."

"Why of course we're coming, you dolt!" Sully sad, patting Chrom on the back.

_Wow. Some of these people I thought would never end up together, Vaike and Miriel especially._ "Look at how happy they all look. Honestly, it disgusts me, but maybe we can be like that...?"

DeNile giggled a bit, his eyes returned to normal. "Possibly. Then again, I'm not a hundred percent sure on our relationship status yet..."

Tharja smiled, wrapping her arms around hers. "You might as well. I'm never giving up. Hell, even if you marry someone else, I'd probably hex them to death."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p>The door to the dark room creaked open, a timid boy entering and closing it. It was pitch black, so he created a ball of ice, radiating a light source. "Phila...?"<p>

"...Yeah...?" A strained voice answered, sorrow in her tone.

"...We..."

Phila sighed, shaking her head. "...How many people died...?"

"Well technically one, but he's back now. Don't ask. And... Well... We won."

The captain of the now-destroyed Pegasus knights sat up, eyes wide. "...You... Won?"

DeNile nodded, smiling. "Gangrel fell to his death. Courtesy of my spear... He did manage to get a few hits in-"

Phila threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. "Th-thank you... Thank you... So much... The bastard's finally dead. He got what he deserved..."

DeNile rubbed the woman's back, a smile on his face. "Mhm... How's Bianca?"

"She's been doing good. She did seem to miss you..."

"Good. What about you? Have you been doing well? I know you're torn up about Emm..."

Phila bit her bottom lip and nodded, smiling a bit. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. Emmeryn was a good girlf- friend of mine..." _Did I hear that right?_ "However, her death was justified, and pretty much ended this war. She didn't die for nothing."

"Great! I'm glad you're ok. Now, I'd hate to leave so soon, but I have stuff to do about the end of he war, as tactician..." He pulled away and held Phila's hands, both smiling. "You'll be okay?"

"More than okay. See ya later, Sweetie..."

* * *

><p><strong>AND SO ENDS THIS ARC. THE MAD KING HAS FALLEN, AND EMMERYN HAS BEEN AVENGED. GLORIOUS! Now that that's over, don't forget to review, you awesome person! ^^<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Love is in the air

"I-I dunno, girls. I'm just so nervous!" Sumia said, her teeth shattering as she stood before a mirror, the female shepherds helping her with her dress.

"Oh come on, don't be a pansy!" Sully stated, adjusting the back of her dress. "You're getting married, be happy!"

Sumia let out long exhale, her face flustered. "You won't be saying that when you're getting ready for YOUR wedding, Sully."

Phila smiled, putting a pin in Sumia's hair. "Well that's not for a few days. I for one find it amazing that we're having a wedding every day for like, a week." _Six days._

"Yeah. But I guess it saves funds," Lissa said as she shrugged.

"W-wait. The weddings are being paid for with the funds for the shepherds?" DeNile tilted his head as Tharja unwrinkled his bridesmaid outfit, a white dress that dazzled with sparkles. Picked out by Tharja herself, saying that DeNile would "look even cuter" with it.

Maribelle nodded, adjusting her bow. "We figured that since everyone getting married was a Shepherd, we might as well make it a 'Shepherd Wedding Week'. Idea courtesy of Lissa, of course."

"Ooh! That sounds so cool! I can't WAIT till Gaius and I get married! Everything's gonna be dragon themed!"

"Well, why not candy themed?" Cordelia asked, currently having a lollipop in her mouth.

"No way! The bride should have her way!"

Panne spoke up, clearing her throat. "Is that an human custom? The bride gets whatever she wants?" _Pretty much._

"W-well..." Olivia tapped her chin. "Not really, but she does have a huge say." _Lies. Lies and slander_.

"That is not necessarily true. The wedding com-"

Sully put a finger to Miriel's lips, silencing her. "Miriel. Please."

Standing at the alter were Chrom and Sumia, both just completed their vows. Libra made a fantastic priest, bounding the two to marriage.

"Do you, Sumia Sakura," _That is the most generic last name I've ever heard... Besides Jones. Or Brown... Or Green... _"Take Chrom to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Sumia was practically bouncing, overwhelmed with joy. "I do!"

"And do you, Chrom Tataeru, take Sumia to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Chrom simply smiled, although his lip was trembling. "I do."

After looking over the crowd, DeNile noticed almost every girl was crying, even Sully. Hell, even some guys were crying, like Vaike and Ricken.

"Then you may kiss the bride..." If you listened hard enough, you could hear Libra squeak as Sumia and Chrom's lips locked, sealing them in eternal happiness.

Cheers erupted as the bouquet was thrown, Panne catching it. She was getting married tomorrow, anyway. Tharja, not surprisingly, only smiled when DeNile spoke to her. For most of the wedding, she had her usual gloomy expression.

And so began the week, _six days_, whatever, long string of weddings, which ended off with Ricken and Cordelia's. DeNile found it hilarious that she had to kneel down in order to kiss him.

"You know, we actually SHOULD get married pretty soon, so that we don't break this little string too much," Tharja said as she removed her accessories in preparation for bed.

DeNile removed the light blue hairband, letting his hair fall. "Remember, I'm not even sure if I love you. But keep in mind that I like you a lot. That may bring some hope."

"Oh, I don't NEED hope. Someday, we'll be at the altar, we'll exchange vows, say our 'I do's', kiss, and live happily ever after. As much as that disgusts me..."

"You seem to hate clichés," the pair both lay down on their bed, facing eachother.

"Oh, I do. I hate genericism in general. Unoriginality in its entirety. I was raised to believe that if you're not unique, then you're worthless."

DeNile raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Which is why you love me, right?"

"Obviously. You're the only known person in the world that can do Ice magic, you have violet eyes in combat, you can predict what's going to happen, and you're the only person to give me the time of day. I'd say that's pretty unique," Tharja told the boy, covering the both of them in the bedsheets. As usual, Tharja slept with her arms around DeNile, cuddling close together.

The tactician smiled, always happy to hear Tharja's compliments. "Well you're pretty unique. A stalker dark mage who's gloomy most of the time? I love it!"

"..."

"Oh no. Did that come off as insulting? Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm happy with who I am. Not fault that almost everyone here is either an idiot or useless..."

"Isn't that a bit unfair?"

"Yes."

"...Okay then..." DeNile yawned, sleep taking him. "I'm gonna go to sleep now... Goodnight, Tharja."

"Goodnight, DeNile..."

_Three Months Later_

The Shepherds had been at peace for three months, not needing to use their weapons at all. DeNile was in the barracks, organizing weapons and armor and what-not. The air around her grew thick, indicating a menacing presence. "Tharja, can you... m-maybe... stand where I can see you?"

"Why? Scared I'm going to suddenly stab you in the back?" Tharja asked, sarcasm in her voice.

"No, just... here," DeNile simply turned around, looking down on the short girl. "There, that's better."

"Mmm..."

DeNile bit his lip, nervous. "Tharja, can you promise me something?"

"That depends on what it is. For example, I'll gladly get rid of anyone causing you trouble, but I won't get rid of myself."

"N-no! I don't want to get rid of you!" DeNile's face turned a light red, followed by a faint squeal. "The opposite, actually..."

Tharja raised her eyebrow, looking up at him. "...Clarify."

"Tharja... I-I love you... I want you to promise that you'll do the same... forever..." DeNile hesitantly pulled out a small box from his robe, Tharja freezing at the very sight of it.

"D-DeNile... is that...?"

He slowly nodded, biting his lip. "Tharja Isabelle Icarus Flux... Will you marry me?" He squeezed his eyes shut and held out the pure obsidian ring, engraved: _To My Dearest._

Tharja was in shock, her jaw wide open. Of course, she'd always wanted them to get married someday, but she was still surprised. "I-I um... No no no!"

DeNile's eyes were of course saddened by the rejection. "Oh... Well, if that's how you feel... I won't try to change your mind..."

"No! I mean- yes! I mean..." Tharja grabbed DeNile by the shoulders and turned him around, then hugging him from behind. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"

DeNile's frown instantly flipped, a wide grin now on his face. "R-really? Yes!"

"Oh, I can't believe I made you love me! 'Course if you back out... I'll murder you in your sleep."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p>"<em>Go! Go! All of you, go! I'll hold them off!" A beheading of a risen, followed by a blow to the temple of his head.<em>

_"I'm comin' for you, Ma!" One._

_"Don't fall in love with that idiot before I get there!" Two._

_"I WILL NOT GO EXTINCT!" Three._

_"I will save thee, mother! Do not despair!" Four._

_"I will live to dance another day!" Five._

_"A true warrior never surrenders!" Six._

_"Heroes never fail!" Seven._

_"...Let's get this over with." Eight._

_"Let us end this predicament..." Nine._

_"Gods, this pisses me off. I'll be there soon, mother!" Ten._

_"Let's go! Mother-"_

_"No, it's Father."_

_"No, it's MOTHER."_

_"NO, IT'S- Just get into the portal." Eleven. Twelve._

_"You two! Wait! Oh, Mother... Father... I'll be with you soon. Whether it's in the past, or in death..." Thirteen._

_"Yah!" The blade collided with an axe, the wielder of the sword kneeing the wielder of the axe in the side. "Go go go!"_

_Fourteen._

_The people all ran through the portal, hopefully to happiness._

* * *

><p>Two Years Later<p>

"Yo. Blue blood. Got a message for ya'." Gaius entered the throne room to spot Chrom and Lissa, the exalt and the princess.

"Oh hey, Gaius. What's up?" Lissa asked, rocking back and forth.

"The khan wants to talk to ya. Flavia. ASAP, seemed pretty important," he popped a gumball into his mouth and began to chew, blowing a bubble.

"Is something amiss?" Chrom asked.

Gaius nodded, sighing. "Valm's 'Western Neighbors' are being asses. The emperor, who they call the Conqueror, declared war on Ferox."

"An invasion? Are you sure?"

"Eyup. Flavia wants to meet ya in Ferox, if you want."

"So... What do you make of this, Chrom?" Lissa asked, looking a bit worried.

"It blows. Yeah, Gaius. We're meeting with Flavia at once-"

"Chrom..." Sumia entered the room, a bundle of blankets in her arms.

The exalt sighed, looking like a child that had been caught drawing on the walls. "I'd stay with you if I could, Sumia. But we owe Regna Ferox a great debt. I must apprise myself of the facts there before deciding on a course of action."

Sumia scoffed, smirking. "I'm not asking you to stay here, I'm saying I'm going."

Chrom looked at the bundle of blankets, which was revealed to be a baby, all wrapped up. "B-but Lucina is a new born! Newborns need their mothers."

Once again, the brunette scoffed. "She can be wet-nursed like you and Lucina were. That's the Ylissean tradition, right? Lucina's a strong girl, she takes after her dad. The brand in her eye isn't the only thing you left her."

"I'm worried about more than her... I'm worried about you."

Sumia gagged, laughing. "My gods. That's sweet and all, but I'm still coming. Would you rather have me follow you on my Pegasus?"

The exalt sighed, smiling, as he knew his wife's tendencies. "I know better than to argue."

Lissa snickered. "Sumia's trained you well. Good boy."

"Shut up. Just promise me you'll return at the first sign of danger, Sumia. Lissa and I had Emm, but we lost our parents when we were young. I want Lucina to grow up with her entire family around her."

"Promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly."

"Huzzah, puns!"

"Shut up, Gaius."

* * *

><p>"Sweetheart... Tell me why we decided to have a kid again." Tharja asked, tending to the two month old baby. The child had her father's silver hair, but her mother's dark eyes and pale complexion.<p>

Once everyone found out Tharja was pregnant, it was no secret that DeNile was male, to most people's surprise. "I just didn't really feel it was important..." He had remembered saying.

"We didn't."

"Ah, that's right, we didn't. YOU just weren't paying attention when you were fu-"

"Ah ah ah, not in front of the kid."

"She's not even a year old, she's probably even forgotten who we are."

"I don't think so. Little Noire's a smart baby." DeNile pushed a strand of hair out of the giggling baby's face, causing her to giggle even more.

"She better be. I didn't go through hours of labor for nothing..." Tharja said, scowling.

DeNile nodded, smirking a bit. "Well, you could've taken my advice and gotten a C-section. Would've been a lot simpler."

"And have Libra scar the body you love so much?" Tharja scoffed. "No way. Besides, he did just fine delivering her... I will admit, she is kind of cute."

"Knock knock!" The short mage entered the room, raising his hat that concealed his face.

"Oh!" DeNile smiled, happy to see one of his best friends. "Hi, Ricken. Need anything?"

"Nope! Just telling you we're headin' to Ferox. Valm apparently declared war on them, and you know that Ylisse and Regna Ferox are like, best friends."

"Right. You know, we haven't fought in a while. Last time we had a battle was... I think a week ago. Risen in the castle basement." DeNile smiled, smirking. "Don't know how they got there, though."

Ricken shrugged, once again adjusting his oversized hat. "Same. Cordelia says- Crap. I'm getting distracted again... Just get ready and don't be late!"

The visit to Ferox Castle was a short one, Flavia telling Chrom pretty much everything about that war. Virion, for the second time, brought a new recruit for the Shepherds, a friend from his homeland, Roseanne. Cherche was a weird girl with a weird name, which was kind of hard to pronounce...

"You dare board our ship, worm?!" The captain of an army asked, currently on a boat opposite the one they were standing. "I refuse to discuss terms with a peasant! I will issue demands to all! Citizens! Soldiers! Hear my words! The Conqueror himself, Emperor Walhart, claims dominion over these lands! You will grant your new ruler everything you've got! And you will surrender this land's greatest treasure, the Fire Emblem! Do this, and I might let you live. Resist, and your lives are forfeit! Now, kneel! And swear fealty to the mighty Valmese Empire!" This guy has a huge head...

DeNile saw a villager try to protest, saying that they'd die without their food and ships, to which Dalton answered by shoving a lance down his throat.

"Ugh..." Tharja groaned as DeNile's violet vision spiraled into action, his spear springing to life. "These guys aren't gonna give."

"I agree. Shepherds! Draw your weapons!" Chrom said as he drew his Falchion.

"Milord, is that wise? Another war would not be ideal..." _Yeah no shit._ "Especially after how the LAST war ended.."

Chrom looked to his left hand man, shaking his head. "We can't just let Ferox be invaded. Doesn't Ylisse stand for peace?"

"I suppose."

"In that case. CHARGE!"

DeNile looked to his wife's face, a smile creeping across her own.

"Let's get this over with..."

* * *

><p><strong>Note: I'm writing this on my birthday, November 16th. Yay! So, what happened, this chapter? Weddings, weddings, proposal, boat. Boom. Done. Review!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: At Sea

"Yah!" DeNile casted his frost spell, the snowflake crashing into a single archer.

Somehow, within an instant, DeNile and Tharja were surrounded by Valmese soldiers, all armed. "Yay, danger."

DeNile giggled. "Oh, I love your sense of humor. Now let's kill them."

-_Cherche and Phila covering the air. Lon'qu and Kellam are doing fine. Gaius firing arrows at the knees-_

_Hey, can you like, stop? I've said plenty of times that these are rarely UBER helpful..._

Tharja casted her Goetia tome while DeNile casted his Freeze tome, wiping a large amount of enemies out in a single movement. "Oh GODS I love you this way... And normally, too, I guess. I love you unconditionally."

"And I you. Virion, straight ahead! Kellam, dive to your left! Libra, Panne, split!" DeNile pierced the stomach of a soldier with his spear, then kicking him off. "Tharja, you don't mind if I split, do ya?"

"Oh I mind. But, you know, do what you've gotta do."

"Thanks. Wish me luck!" The tactician backed up a bit, then sprinted to the side of the ship, jumping off. Luckily, he landed safely on the other one, coming face to face to a Swordsmaster.

The swordsman swung his blade, crashing it into DeNile's spear. DeNile jabbed forward, but the swordsman stepped to the side, causing the blade to go past him. The killing edge caught the boy's cheek, drawing a bit of blood. _This one actually put up a fight. That hasn't happened in a while. He _sweep kicked him off of his feet, then kneed him in the back, paralyzing him. "Sorry 'bout this!" He then impaled his head, killing him.

"Ok, that's good. Now..."

-_Archer aimed at Lissa. Four years of experience, bad back, left handed_-

_I thought you were gone for a moment. Oh well... The warning was essentially useless, as Lon'qu quickly cut down the Archer, Lissa not even noticing. Great. Anything else?_

_-Don't be a dick, I could easily have this entire army wiped out-_

_Whatever. What else is up?_

_-Reinforcements coming from the lower deck of the opposite ship. Below Olivia-_

"Shit. Olivia, take a step to your left!"

Olivia, panicked and confused, stepped aside, dark fliers erupting through the floorboards. "Eeep!" Olivia cried, quickly striking one with her Levin Sword.

DeNile shot several balls of ice at the flying mounts, hitting a few in the ribcage. "Ricken, take them out!"

The Dark Knight obeyed, casting a powerful Arcwind spell and causing the units to crumple to the ground. _Nice and easy._

-_Dalton just jumped to the Feroxi ship. Currently in combat with Tharja, and she's losing-_

_Thanks for the heads up, Voice._

_-No problem_-

Jumping back to the Feroxi ship, DeNile sprinted at Dalton, hand covered in an icy mist. "DeNile!" Tharja called out.

"Huh?" Dalton turned on his steed only to see DeNile slide under him, arriving at his wife's side. "Gah! How dare you?!"

_Dude, all I did was slide under you to protect my wife._ "I don't usually do this, but I'm going to give you a chance to live. Drop your weapon, or you'll die where you stand." _Well he's sitting._

"My love, are you sure this is a good idea?" Tharja asked, worry in her eyes.

Dalton laughed, eyebrows arched. "Me? Surrender to a tiny little girl?"

"First of all, I'm nineteen. Second, I'm 5'8. Third, I assume you decline."

"Well you assume correctly, worm!" Dalton raised his sword and struck, blocked by DeNile's spear.

"Tharja, get out of here!"

"But DeNile-"

"Seriously!" DeNile parried the blade upwards, knocking Dalton back. Tharja hesitantly ran away towards Libra, who was DeNile's closest friend.

"Your wife, eh? You know, homosexuality is frowned upon in Va-"

"I'm male. Do you SEE any breasts?" Spinning his weapon, the tactician slammed it into Dalton's steed's head, knocking it out.

Dalton stood on two feet, slashing at the boy. Leaning backwards, he dodged the slash, then springing up and punching the man in the jaw.

The man cut DeNile's arm, drawing blood. Then, the sword made contact with DeNile's knee, causing him to cry out. "Son of a bitch!"

-_Dalton is going for your foot-_

DeNile swiftly moved his foot, Dalton stabbing into the ship, his sword getting stuck in the wood. He took this chance to charge up and icy blast, the frost crashing into Dalton on point blank.

_-About to charge at you_-

The boy dived to the left, dodging the stab of a blade. Several shards of ice crashed into Dalton, knocking him back. _Okay, thanks. What else?_

_-Swinging from the left-_

DeNile jumped to the right, dodging the blade of his enemy. Seizing the opportunity, he pierced his side with his spear, earning a yelp from the swordsman.

_Let's keep the momentum going_! He pushes the spear back, causing Dalton to stumble backwards. The tactician turned on his heel, kicking the man in the chest and causing blood to pour from his mouth.

"See ya!" DeNile grabbed Dalton's head and slammed it into her knee, obviously ending his life. "Ok, ok. That's good, now... that was easy."

"Hey! Chrom!" DeNile sprinted over to the exalt as he called, spear retracting. "That's all of them, right?"

Chrom grimly nodded, looking around. "Yes... But it seems that victory has come with a price..."

"The town is in shambles..." Basilio groaned. "It seems to be the same with my army..."

Frederick shook his head, clearly upset. "This... Is not good news. The Feroxi shoulder are the finest they come east of the long sea. If they're having trouble, we're ALL in trouble."

"That's not the half of it..." Flavia smoothed back her hair, turning her head to the town. "That was just the vanguard- but a taste of the meal yet to come."

"And when it arrives, their host will wash over the whole continent in weeks... Days, perhaps. There's no way we could repel them and defend our people, it'd be suicide."

"Basilio's right." Chrom sighed, tapping his foot. "Ylisse is no better to handle an attack from the sea... DeNile, have any ideas?"

_Hey. Violet vision thing. I'm talking now, not fighting. Go away._

-_Okay...-_

DeNile's eye sight returned to normal, his senses dulling and his violet filter leaving him. And without his "battle mode"... "W-well... I'd say that their g-greatest strength is... cavalry. That puts us at a disadvantage... On land, at least. If w-we could catch them at sea..."

"But how?" Olivia asked, a frown on her face. "Neither Ylisse nor Ferox have war ships..."

"We'd need some help from a kingdom that does..." Donnel said, knocking on his pot/helmet.

Flavia responded to the farmboy with a bit of annoyance. "You have someplace in mind? We don't have any options."

"Perhaps a land that borders the sea, with enough weld to afford this campaign?" Basilio asked.

"P-Plegia!" DeNile exclaimed, noticing his wife's sudden interest.

Chrom immediately shook his head, looking a bit agitated. "No. Absolutely not. Out of the question. It'd be stupid."

"Well, they have gold... and a lot of ships. Trust me, I'd know. And without them, we have almost no chance of winning..." Tharja told him, not really putting any effort into her words.

Frederick scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course the Plegian woman would say that. Don't forget you were fighting against us on the day the exalt perished."

Rolling her eyes, Tharja sighed. "And don't forget I'm married to your head tactician now. Also, that was two years ago. And I didn't lay a finger on your troops. Remember that."

"Frederick, Tharja, please." The exalt sighed, tapping his foot. "Very well... Frederick, send a messenger and request a summit immediately. Let us pray this new king is more stable than their last..."

* * *

><p>"Milord, we have word from Plegia. They've arranged to meet with us at their outpost on Carrion isle. A poor venue should things go sour, as the island's name makes plain. But then I don't see we have have a choice..."<p>

"Cautious as ever, Frederick. But don't worry, we'll get out ships. This threat hangs over is all, Plegia included. They must see that."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p><em>"...The fire's nice tonight..."<em>

_"How long have I been here...? A week?"_

_"Am I too late? Has the future already been set in stone?"_

_"Oh... I hope the others landed in the same time I did... Heh. I guess it'd be funny to see Yarne when he's sixty. All wrinkly and stuff..."_

_"I miss Severa."_

_"I miss Kjelle."_

_"I miss Morgan..."_

_"I miss Merlin..."_

_"I miss my mom... I miss my dad..."_

_The girl began to sob, head buried in her knees as she listened to the fire crackle. "Why...?"_

_"Why did this have to happen? Couldn't we have just lived a normal life? Happy?"_

_"But nothing in my life is happy. I'm not allowed to be happen. All because of some stupid dragon who insists on ruining my life..."_

_"That's... Not fair. He may be evil, but he's still-"_

_"I know. But..." She looked down at her palm, the Mark of Grima permanently branded on her skin. "...Ugh..."_

_"Let's just hope I find them soon... Mother... Father..."_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Family Reunion

Castle Plegia had stayed the same since Gangrel died; dark. Unfortunately for Tharja, Lissa, and Sumia, only Frederick, Chrom, and DeNile were permitted in the throne room, which had a large, purple plush couch in the centre.

It seemed that they had been waiting for hours by the time Aversa entered, her normal sly smile on her face. "Greetings, Prince Chrom. Plegia welcomes you."

"Aversa!" Chrom staggered backwards, his surprise taking effect. _Who? … Oh yeah, that chick… WAIT WHAT?!_

"What can I say?" Aversa giggled. "It seems the fates have a design for me."

"You serve the new king, then? This… Validar?" Frederick asked, furrowing his brow.

"I do."

"They say he worships Grima..."

Aversa nodded, her grin creeping up her face. "Why yes, he is indeed Grimleal. We're both believers. My liege often says that it was his faith that for him through Gangrel's passing. It was a difficult time, but he kept order where there was certainly going to be chaos. We'd meant to arrange an official visit to Ylisstol, but- Ah! Here he is now!"

A tall, thin man entered, his skin purple and ragged. "An honor to finally meet you, sire. I am King Validar." _Holy fucking shit no way._

"The honor is mine, good king," Chrom bowed out of respect.

"Psst! Chrom! He looks just like that guy that came after Emmeryn!"

"I know! That's... Creepy. To say the least..."

Validar looked to DeNile, his eyes gleaming. "And you must be S-...Lady DeNile."

"Y-you know who I am...?"

"The whole worlds knows of Ylisse's master tactician!" _Don't flatter me. _"And indeed, I see the sparkle of wisdom in your eyes... Anyhow, let's get straight to the point already, shall we?"

Chrom hesitantly nodded, a lump in his throat. Aversa spoke first. "Plegia can offer no soldiers, but we will provide eight hundred warships and two-hundred transports. In addition, we would be pleased to fully find the campaign against Valm."

"This... Is surprisingly generous of you, milord... We could not ask for more, quite literally. You offer most all your assets..." Frederick tilted his head, skeptical.

Validar sighed. "We'd offer soldiers, but our army still remains in shambles from the last war. I trust the gold and ships will suffice as a sign of our commitment to the cause?"

"Of course it will." Once again, Chrom bowed. "Thanks to you, King Validar."

"The honor is ours, I look forward to building a strong bond between our two nations."

"As do I. Then, if there's nothing else? My apologies, but my army and I must hurry back to port Ferox."

"Oh, so soon?" Aversa pouted. "But I have one more introduction to make..."

Chrom raised an eyebrow, curious. "...Yes? And that would be...?"

"A hierophant, the highest of his order in all Plegia." Validar gestured forward, a hooded figure entering the room.

_Hey, cool. That guy has my robes... wait, but Tharja said that these are one of a kind...?_ "S-so... you lead the people in worship? We were just discussing religion earlier in our c-conversation..." The figure said nothing, simply standing there. "...S-so sorry! D-did I say something to offend you?"

"...The heart still sleeps, but the blood flows through it. And the blood is strong..."

_Is this guy high or something?_ "Um, good hierophant, I would ask you to lower your cowl. In Ylisse, it is a courtesy expected of one in the presence of royalty..."

"You are far from Ylisse, sir, but as you wish..." The hierophant slowly removed his hood, his face making DeNile freeze. "Is that better?"

"By the gods!" Chrom cried.

"What kind of black magic is this?!"

DeNile trembled, his brain not comprehending what was before him. Looking at him was like looking in a mirror. A perfect image of the tactician.

"My name is DeNile..." The hierophant smirked. "But that's your name, as well, isn't it? What a coincidence..."

Validar smiled, chuckling. "Why, that IS rather curious, now that you mention it. What are the odds. Anyway, I belive we're finished here. We will let you be on your w-"

"What is the meaning of this? Why do your hierophant and DeNile-"

"I'm afraid we don't have time for such trivial matters now, Your highness. We have aid preparations to attend to, and you have a long, hard journey ahead... Oh, be careful on your way back to port Ferox. This time of year the high roads of Plegia can be quite... Treacherous."

* * *

><p><em>...Ugh. I can't sleep.<em> DeNile turned over, freeing himself from Tharja's grasp. _Who was that guy? He looked just like me..._

"DeNile... Heed me, DeNile..."

"Huh?" He sat up, looking around. "Who's there? Not Tharja..."

Suddenly, DeNile was in a white void, standing all alone. Validar appeared, approaching the boy. "Why do you close your heart to him, DeNile?"

"...V-Validar...?"

"Have you honestly forgotten?"

"You were... C-calling me... AUGH! My head! Get out of my mind, you creep!"

Validar snickered sinisterly. "Heh heh. Such arrogance! You dare take such a tone with your own father?!"

_No. _"You're not my dad, dipshit!"

"Watch your language, boy. You are of my flesh, but of sacred blood. You are to serve a glorious purpose! Search deep in your heart. You already know it's your destiny..."

"No. Stop. I'm not your daughter, idiot."

"No, you're my son. Why do you resist us, DeNile? Your rightful place is right here, by my side. Not wasting your time with doomed servants of Naga! Give yourself to Grima! Let me join your strength to the fell dragon!"

"DeNile!" Validar vanished into smoke as DeNile returned to his tent, sitting up, face to face with Tharja and Chrom.

"Darling, are you okay?!" Tharja was in pieces, worried to death over her wife.

"Nng..." DeNile stood wobbly. "I think so... Yes. Th-thank you. I'm... I'm fine."

"'Fine' is a poor choice of words!" Chrom looked through the tent flap, then back to DeNile. "What happened?!"

"V-Validar... He talked to me... In my mind. H-he said I was his son..." DeNile shuddered as Tharja tended to her, wiping tears from her wife's eyes.

"What?... Well, is it true?" Tharja asked.

DeNile shrugged, his breathing beginning to steady. "I-I don't know..."

Chrom gritted his teeth, sighing. "That hierophant... Can he be the king's son as well? Are you twins?"

"I... Don't... Know..."

"Can you walk?"

"I think so..."

Frederick suddenly rushed into the tent, looking frantic. "Milord, we're under attack! Risen have encircled the camp!"

"Didn't w-we post sentries?"

"They made a stealthy approach, milady. I've never seen Risen behave like this! Either they're highly intelligent, or someone is leading them..."

* * *

><p>Chrom stood on the hill, spotting a bundle of black shadows. "What's that? A storm of... Crows? Gods, it's upon us!"<p>

"CAW CAW! Are you people lost? Or perhaps a lost CAWS? Heh heh!"

"Who's there?!" Chrom asked, blade in hand. "Gods, I can't see anything through all these damned birds!"

The crowd scattered, revealing a white haired boy, a creepy grin on his face. "Hi! Name's Henry. What's wrong, are you CAWstrophobic? Nya hah hah! Oh, I slay me..."

"Not if these Risen do it first! This is no time for japes!" Chrom facepalmed, annoyed.

"You know, I thought you were all right... Turns out you're all FRIGHT! Ha! Anyway, I'd wish you good luck in killing these monsters, buuuut... They're ALREADY DEAD!"

"We are well aware!"

"So, the ravens wanted me to give you a message. 'Caaw... C-CAW-CAW.' Roughly translated, it means... Mhm... Trapped. They say you're trapped."

"We know, damn it! Gods, where did they all come from?"

"Well, son, when a mommy zombie and a daddy zombie love eachother very much..."

"Perhaps I should let the Risen rest and slay you myself...

"Naaah. I wanna join your CAWS- I mean... I can help you! I know magic! What do you say... Birds of a feather and all that."

Chrom scanned the robes of Henry, clearly Plegian. "A Plegian dark mage... Why would you help us?"

"Because I think you have an old friend of mine in your army... two, actually. So, whaddya say?"

"I don't see why not..."

Henry smiled, pulling out a Goetia. "Hurray!"

_Voice, give me the full frontal view of the battlefield. Overhead. Can you do that?_

_-You got it-_

The raindrops began to spin, the vision of the a grassy hill lapsing into a view of the battlefield from above.

-_Four barbarians, thirteen archers, three myrmidons, twenty sword masters, six mages, one chief. Chief is immobile. Vaike has a pain in his knee, but it won't really effect much. Should be an easy enough battle-_

_Thanks for the info._ "You ready, DeNile?"

"Mhm..." The spear sprung to life, the bat emerging from DeNile's robes. "What tomes do you have on you?"

Tharja looked at her one large tome, which she had compiled several into. "Mire, Waste, Nosferatu, and Flux."

"Alright. I want you to-"

"Holy hell, Dracula!" Henry shouted, running up to Bianca.

"Huh?" DeNile turned to the two, seeing that Bianca instantly beamed up upon seeing Henry.

"It's been two years, dude!" The sorcerer turned to DeNile, grin on his face. "Did you find her?"

_What is this guy goin' on about...?_ "Yeah... Two years ago... We were in a forest, first sign of Risen..."

Henry fist pumped with a smile on his face. "This is my best friend! Oh my Gods, Dracula! Have you been keeping her all this time?"

"Yeah..."

"It's been so long... you don't mind returning her, do you?"

While it pained him, DeNile hesitantly shook his head. "No..."

"Thank you!" Bianca, apparently named Dracula, squeaked, following Henry as he ran towards an archer, Goetia in hand.

"Hm. Sad. Sweetie, we kind of have a horde of risen to take out... Mind paying attention?" Tharja engulfed her hands in a green mist, Mire at the ready.

"Y-yeah..." The spear, within a moment, was in motion, DeNile clearing his mind of the thought.

**_Oh thank the gods he didn't notice me. Lucky I'm so short, I could hind behind DeNile... Oh Henry, why must you be so... happy?_**

_-Lissa currently being shot at by an archer. Hit in the shoulder. Kellam took the archer out. Healed herself. Disregard. Mage aimed at you with a Valflame-_

_Shit!_ The tactician dived to the right, the flames scorching the grass that had been previously beneath him. In retaliation, the mage was hit with hundreds of shards of ice, tearing its flesh apart. Tharja was doing her own thing, sending vast amounts of darkness in every direction.

Olivia wasn't all too good at fighting, despite doing it for two years. Although she did have a way with a sword when she wanted to use it, practically decapitating Lon'qu.

"Ok, no, whaddya see?" Gaius asked, riding his wife in the air.

Nowi looked down, eyeing the enemy. "Hm... Well, it was a quick battle, that's for sure. Half the army is wiped out."

"Yah!" Chrom shoved his blade into the Risen chief, causing it to explode into dust.

"Make that all of the army... Man, we're so cool!"

"That's the last of them... Gods, I thought I might never have-"

"Chrom! Watch out!" DeNile cried. An Assasin tumbled out from the high grass, dagger in hand.

"Father, no!" _Huh?_

Marth suddenly ran onto the field, swinging her sword and decapitating the assassin.

"Oh thank the GODS you're safe!" Marth sheathed her blade, Chrom looking confused.

"Um... Marth? You called me Father..."

Marth's face turned into a frightened one, on of regret. "...Did I? I um... Can we... Talk? In private?"

Chrom and Marth stood a few yards away from the camp, both with blank faces. "I don't even know where to begin..."

Chrom held out his hand, stopping her. "I already know you're not 'Marth'. Though I've nothing of more correctness to call you... But I'll ask nothing of you that you don't wish to reveal. Whoever you are, Ylisse owes you a debt beyond repaying, okay?"

Marth nodded, but bit her lip nontheless. "Thank you, but... I think I would prefer you knew the truth. Here, look closely... And all will be made clear."

Marth stepped forward, face right in front of Chrom. Instantly, Chrom realized what she was showing him, in her left eye. "That's the Brand of The Exalt..." Chrom then realized that from everything Marth had told him, it all connected with that one moment. "Lucina..."

Marth nodded, biting her lip and holding back tears. "Mhm..."

"...You deserved better from me than one sword and a world of troubles... I'm sorry..."

Lucina couldn't hold anything back. She burst into tears and through her arms around her dad, sobbing. "F-Father..."

Both stayed silent in eachother's embrace, until Chrom broke the silence. "Better, Lucina?"

"Y-yes, Father... I'm sorry. It just all rushed back at once..." Lucina stepped back, brushing herself off. "Sh-should I not call you Father?"

"No, it's just strange to my ear... I like it." Chrom smiled, Lucina joining. "Yes, it will take some getting used to.

"...Ch-Chrom?" DeNile asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Hmm?" The exalt turned around, a grin on his face. "Oh, DeNile. What is it?"

DeNile assessed the situation before his, then spoke. "Well, you two are out here alone, and Marth is crying... This... This is how rumors are born."

"He loves me..." Pluck. "He loves me not..."

Chrom looked behind DeNile, spotting Sumia, a sad look on her face. "Er... Sumia? Why in the gods' names are you shredding those flowers?"

Sumia through the flower on the ground, heaving. "Trying to find out why my own husband would cheat on me with some tranny!"

"Hey..."

"Sorry, DeNile!"

Chrom snickered, looking to Lucina. "Can we tell her, Lucina?"

"Of course. I don't see why not."

Sumia raised an eyebrow, still angry. "Lucina? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Sumia, this is going to be something of shock, but... I'll say it anyway. This is our daughter... This is Lucina."

"..." Sumia balled her fists, an irritation mark appearing on her forehead. "Why are you trying to bullshit your way through this?!"

"It's true, Mother... I can show you the brand!" Lucina showed Sumia the mark in her eye, Sumia's own eyes widening.

"Your eye... It has the brand..."

"The same brand carried by all House Ylisse's bloodline!" Chrom told her, smiling. "Do you see now?"

"No, Chrom. I do NOT see! This makes no sense! Wait. Is my Lucina okay?! Oh gods, what did you do to her?!" Sumia was frantic, stomping her foot.

"Your baby is right where you left her, and perfectly safe," Lucina reassured, "I am her from another time. From a time that is yet to be..."

"You mean... The future?"

"Yes. Eighteen years in the future, actually..."

"B-but why?" DeNile asked. "What happens in our future?!"

Lucina sighed, shaking her head. "The fell dragon, Grima, is resurrected. His rose is a death knell for man, a scream that silences all hope. Death everywhere..."

DeNile's faced was horrified, her lip trembling. "Our whole army? All of us? Dead?"

"Yes.. You, Mother, Father, Aunt Lissa, Miriel, Stahl, Tharja, everyone..."

Chrom cursed. "A tale that beggars believe, and yet the truth of it stands before us. She carries Falchion, my same sword. And the same sword the first exalt used to defeat Grima long ago..."

"Your blade an I are one, Father. It was... All I had left of you. Naga, the divine dragon, feared mankind would face Grima again. In preparation for that day, she devised a ritual. It allows one to return to the past and alter events already written. I made the journey with others, but... we became separated. My sister... And your children, DeNile..."

_Children? Noire..._ "H-how many do I have...?"

"Three. One of them is already alive and well."

Sumia rocked side to side, unsure of herself. "...Are you really my daughter?"

"I swear on my life."

Sumia smiled, approaching her. "You grew up to be so strong... So beautiful..."

"Thank you, Sumia."

"You don't want to call me Mother?" Sumia asked, tilting her head.

"I... thought you might mind."

"Of course not, Lucina! I love you more than anything in the world!"

Lucina hugged her mom, smiling. "Oh, Mother..."

"I'm so very proud of you, Lucina..."

"I've missed you more than you'll ever know..."

* * *

><p><em>"I swore I saw Inigo at that dance concert... I should've approached him..." Noire walked along the forest road, a frown on her face. "Oh, fie... I miss Morgan and Merlin. Those two were inseparable... Hopefully they're still alive. I'd hate loosing my siblings as well as my parents."<em>

_Kicking the dirt, Noire sighed. "Oh, stop moping. You know Mother always hated that. I wonder if she's different... Oh, it doesn't matter. I still like Father better. After the things she's done..."_

_"Oh, don't pick sides like the twins do. She may have done some bad things, but she's still your mom."_

_"I guess... You know, I wonder why Morgan likes Father more. I mean, he died before Mother did... Oh, Mother was heartbroken when he died... How did he die, anyway? I was told it was at the hands of Grima himself... But... That doesn't make sense, does it?"_

_Noire looked at her palm, staring at the Mark of Grima. "If Father killed Grima, then he'd die for good. But if Grima killed Father, Grima'd be fine? That's not fair!"_

_"... Oh, Noire. Haven't you learned anything these past 19 years?... Life's not fair..."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hey everyone! DeNile here! Again, I would LOVE some feedback! If you're enjoying the story, make sure to review!<em>**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A Shot in The Dark

"Are you sure this is such a good idea...?" Tharja asked, walking alongside DeNile. Yesterday, the head tactician decided to embark on a quest to find all of the kids Lucina came with, which according to her, was thirteen.

"Of course... I-if you'd lost your parents and had a chance to find them, and they knew that you were here, you'd want them to look for you, wouldn't you?" DeNile asked, looking down on the woman.

"I..." Tharja sighed. "I guess..."

DeNile pulled Tharja in, smiling. "Thar, we're going to find our kids! What are you so afraid of?"

Tharja scoffed, looking down. "I'm not AFRAID of anything..."

"Great. Now, let's keep-"

"Well well well... All alone, are you, lamb? Off searching for dear ol' mum? How very sweet. But the world's a dangerous place, lamb, full of wolves waiting to snatch you up."

Noire trembled, taking a step back. "Th-thank you sir, but-"

"Oh, that's no warning, lamb. I'm a wolf, and you've been snatched! Now come quietly. Scars tend to lower the sale price, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Noire instantly ran away, Ezra drawing a Levin sword. "Slavers, milord. Such damnable scum..." Frederick growled.

"We'll have to hurry if we hope to catch them." Chrom drew his blade and signaled to his shepherds, ready for combat.

"Or..." Tharja stepped forward. "We could stay right here and just let me go to work on them. A curse to wither them away, perhaps? A slow death over a year? Oh, fie, let's make it two."

"I think their captive would appreciate something a bit more immediate. Shepherds! Saving the girl is our top priority! Now move out!" The shepherds charged forward, DeNile especially certain.

Noire sighed, hiding behind a crumbling wall. "So this is how it ends. Killed, or worse... Oh, a clean death would be a mercy compared to what waits..." Something caught her eye, causing her to turn her gaze. "A bow... Hm..." She pulled at the string. "The string's still taut. I suppose I could try and fight my way out? B-but those bandits and strong and scary and... Wait! My talisman!" She dug in the pocket of her tights and pulled out a diamond shaped, flat object. "Now... Let me just..."

"I AM THE FIRE AND THE FURY! THOSE WHO DEFY ME WILL PERISH! REPENT, SCUM! REPENT, THOUGH IT WILL SAVE YOU NOT! REPENT AND DESPAIR! BWAAA HA HA HA!" She deftly fired an arrow at an enemy, shooting him in the neck.

DeNile thought that while rescuing Lucina's allies was important, it was not top priority. So, DeNile brought only thirteen people with her on the journey. He brought Chrom, himself, Tharja, Gaius, Panne, Libra, Nowi, Gregor, Cherche, Henry, Ricken, Lissa, and Maribelle. Of course, the rest of the Shepherds came along, but in a part that fell back.

"Ok, let's talk strategy." DeNile's violent vision spiraled into view. "Chrom, you and Libra head to top left with Nowi and Gaius. Gregor, Cherche, take the bottom middle. Henry takes the bottom right, Ricken takes the bottom left, Lissa and Maribelle take the top right. Panne takes the top middle, and Tharja and I will head straight for the girl."

Panne transformed into her "super bunny forme" as Nowi liked to call it, while the mentioned Manakete transformed into a dragon. The Shepherds split up, Henry giggling like a madman as he went.

Tharja groaned, slouching forward. "Why do we have to get the girl? I'd much prefer focusing on slaughtering these damnable men."

"Tharja, look," DeNile pointed to Noire, making sure Tharja focused on her. "You look me in the eye and tell me that's not our daughter."

"...Ugh. I can't believe that you think what 'Lucina' said is true... oh well. Wherever you go, I go, I guess..."

"Good. Now," DeNile equipped him weapon. "Ready to run?"

"Whenever you are..."

"Great. Three... Two... One... Go!" The duo began sprinting towards the girl, weapons in hand.

"Yah!" A heap of snow buried a cavalier, suffocating him.

"Die now..." Tharja absorbed a swords master's lifeforce, increasing her charisma and vigor. "Sweetie, how much farther?"

-_Twenty metres_-

"Twenty metres! How ya holding up? I know that outfit's not exactly made for running."

"I'm doing just fine, thank you very much. It's riding up my... Uncanny valleys, but it's worth it."

A river of red splashed across DeNile face, making her giggle a bit. "Good to know..."

The duo finally reached the girl, who was happily firing away arrows. "Hey! Are you okay?" DeNile asked.

"ME? THE QUEEN OF BLOOD? THE MISTRESS OF THUNDER? OF COURSE I AM OKAY! I WILL NEVER FALL! AHAHAHA!"

"G-good. But you're in a bit of a pickle right now, and we were wondering if you needed any help."

"I REQUIRE NO AID FROM THE LIKES OF YOU! I AM DEATH ITSELF!"

"You may not need physical help, but mentally, yeah..." Tharja mumbled.

"Look out!" DeNile fired a snowflake at Ezra, who swiftly dodged it.

Ezra smiled, raising his blade. "Well well well. Looks like the sheep brought her shepherds!" _Heh. That actually works. Because we're shepherds..._ "But that doesn't matter. Just more dinner for the wolf!"

"...Darling?"

"Yes, my love?"

"One shot."

DeNile held his finger in the shape of a gun, a crystal of ice appearing in front of her index finger. Tharja encased her hand in shadows, extending her arm. Noire drew an arrow, fire in her eyes.

All at once, the three fired. Noire's arrow sunk into his neck, while Tharja's darkness practically liquefied his insides. DeNile's crystal soared through Ezra's eye, a combination of the three attacks taking him out.

While the rest of the Shepherds cleaned up the few remaining slavers, the three had a little talk, Noire calming down. "U-Um..."

"What do you want...?"

"I, I'm... I mean... Er... H-here. Please look at this..." The white haired girl hesitantly took off a ring from her left hand, shakily showing it to Tharja. _Hey..._

"Hm. Nice ring. You messing around with alchemy? Or is this something... darker?" Tharja smirked, causing Noire to shiver.

"Wha-?! N-no! It's nothing like that! I-it's just..." Noire stumbled over her words, panicking.

"Tell me the truth, girl. Nobody likes to see what happens when someone lies to me."

"Tharja..."

"Nng... N-no... I need a moment. My talisman. Where's my talisman..." _That thing she used earlier?_ "...I AM BLOOD AND THUNDER! I AM A RIGHTEOUS FURY! I AM... YOUR FUTURE DAUGHTER!"

"Told you."

"Shut up." Tharja looked back to Noire, scowling. "You're trying my patience..."

"INSOLENCE!" Noire looked to the skies. "I speak the truth! The ring I bear also hails from the future. A memento of you, my departed mother!" _Nothing of me? Aw..._

"What about the talisman?" DeNile asked.

Noire fiddled with the item, flashing it to DeNile. "Mother's own handiwork! Wrought to steel the mewling heart of your timid and cowardly daughter! In its strength did I find blessed escape from grief and solitude! Fear of death and killing, too, it drove from me, until I became an avatar of retribution! Only by clinging to it have I survived the crushing desolation of a ruined future! BWAAA HA HA HA HA!"

Tharja groaned, snatching the talisman. "Oh, give me that..."

"Um, w-wait! I need that! Without it, I can't-"

"Survive? You can, and you will. And not by becoming some avatar of retribution. Just be my daughter. Leave the retribution to me, or rather, your father..."

"M-Mother..."

"My, this is a nasty little thing... The future me is good. And very, very bad. Hee hee. I can't wait..." Tharja began to snicker.

"M-Mother, you're f-frightening me! Again!"

"This little trinket will advance my research in the dark arts nicely. Hm... You have my blood, right? I'm gonna need a bit of it back."

"Thar."

"EEP! I mean... BLEED ME DRY AND I SHALL BE AS THUNDER STILL!"

"See? No daughter of mine needs some mummer's prop to be strong. Hee hee..."

DeNile also began to snicker, smiling. "Meh heh heh..."

"BWA HAH HAH!"

"Meh heh heh..."

"Hee hee hee..."

"BWAH HAH HAH!"

* * *

><p>"Um... Gaius?" Nowi said, looking to her husband. "Are we gonna die now?"<p>

Gaius trembled, stepping back. "I think so..."

_"Mother! Father!" A little Noire ran towards her parents, a smile on her face. "I saw Virion in the shooting range! I wanna try!" _

_ Tharja smiled, kneeling down to get to an eye level with her daughter. "You want to try archery? But Noire, you're only eight." _

_ "Yeah..." DeNile said as he put his hair into twin tails instead of his usual ponytail. "Don't you think you're a bit too young to learn how to fight?" _

_ Noire shook her head, pointing to her mother. "Mother learned elder magic when she was a baby! And I'm already old enough to wield a bow!" _

_ DeNile bit his thumbnail, tapping his foot. "Well... Maybe... I suppose we could get Phila or Virion to teach you..."_

_ "De, are you sure that's a good idea? If the twins see Noire using a bow, they're going to want to use one." _

_ DeNile looked back to the castle, then to Tharja. "Really? They're only four, so they'll have to understand that they can't..." _

_ "Yay!" Noire jumped for joy. "Oh, I can't wait!"_

* * *

><p><em> "Tharja..." Gaius looked to the sorceress, a grim look on his face. <em>

_ "...Don't look at me like that..." _

_ Noire stood by her mother's side, a concerned look on her face. "Mom...? What's going on?" _

_ Morgan and Merlin entered the room, both awoken by the noise. "Huh...?" They asked in unison. "Oh. Hello, Gaius." _

_ Gaius handed Tharja a letter sealed in wax, which melted at Tharja's will. She opened the envelope and read the contents, suddenly gripping the sheet of paper. "Mother...?" _

_ Tharja's eyes were concealed by the shadows of her bangs, but even in the darkness, Noire could see the trembling of her lip and the tears streaming down her face. "Momma?" Merlin asked, looking up at her. "Why are you crying?" _

_ "Henry and Olivia were next to him when it happened... They couldn't stop it..." _

_ Tharja dropped to her knees, sobbing. Morgan picked up the letter and stood, Noire behind her._

_ By the time they were done reading the letter, they were both broken. Noire just stood there, horror in her eyes. Morgan was bawling on the ground, pounding her fists into the floor. _

_ "N-no..." Noire fell to her knees. "Father... No..." _

_ "MOTHER! NO!"_

* * *

><p><em> "Just hold still, you idiot..." <em>

_ "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" _

_ Tharja groaned, Noire's abdomen shrouded in a red mist. "Be a good girl and just do this for your mother, will you? Haven't we been through this?" _

_ "SEVERA! KJELLE! PLEASE!" Noire screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice strained. _

_ Right before Noire blacked out, she saw Morgan walk by the door, then stopped. She looked at the scene before her and gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut and continuing on her path as if nothing happened. _

_ "...Why?"_

* * *

><p>"Noire?"<p>

"EEP!" Noire turned to her mother, quickly wiping her tears away. "Y-yes, Mother?"

"Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Tharja looked down and to her left, as she always did when she was hesitant about something.

"M-Mhm? Anything..."

"...Am I a good mother?"

Noire had flashbacks of the violent spells, the painful curses that left her in agony that lasted for weeks, and the memory of her loving father. She finally smiled, trembling, and said...

"The best."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Disowned by Time

"Uhn..." Morgan rolled over, sitting up. "Wh-where am I?"

Merlin stood, looking around. "I... I don't know."

"This it?" DeNile asked, looking down at the blue concrete, ice cold water below them.

"Yeah. It's got to be. The townsfolk spoke of ruins in these parts that carry the legacy of the divine dragon. Of course, they never mentioned that this place is CRAWLING WITH FREAKIN' RISEN." CHROM sighed, drawing his blade. "We're gonna have to earn this treasure the hard way, I guess."

"Noire?" Tharja looked up at her daughter. "What're you staring at?"

"Oh? N-Nothing, mother..." Noire looked in the distance and saw two silhouettes talking, swearing she recognized them.

"Shit. You hear the footsteps, too, right?"

"Yeah..." Morgan nodded. "Probably not friendly. And likely more down the stairs over there. Draw your weapon, Merlin. Looks like we've some fighting to do."

Merlin drew a Levin Sword which was shrouded in shadows, while Morgan formed a ball of ice. "Thank you, Mother, for bestowing this gift upon me..."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, looking to her white haired brother. "Mother? What're you talking about?"

"Our mom, genius. Who'd you expect?"

"Our mom's been dead for years now, genius... wait, has she?"

"Have you lost your mind? If our mom's dead, who do we live with? Dad? We've never even met him... right?"

"I... Don't know... Wait, what the hell? I don't remember anything!" Morgan stumbled back, biting her lip. "Wait, wait. Me, you, and Father live in a house in Ferox-"

"No we don't! You, Mother and I live in Plegia! Morgan, what's going on with you?"

"I don't- Fuck!" Morgan thrust her ball of ice at a Wyvern Rider, whose undead steed crashed in the water. "What the hell is that thing?!"

"I-I don't- AAAH!" Merlin cried out as a Griffon grabbed him by the shoulders, lifting him in the air. "MORGAN! HELP!"

"Oh, gods! It is him!" Noire quickly fired an arrow from her Brave Bow, hitting the Griffon and causing it to release Merlin.

Noticing the falling boy, DeNile's violet vision spiraled into action as he formed a pile of snow under him. "BLOOD AND THUNDER! MOTHER, FATHER, WE MUST HASTILY RETRIEVE TOWARDS THOSE TWO WEAKLINGS!"

"Yeah, of course we have to get them! But you seem a bit-"

"NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! BWAHAHAHAHAA!" Noire began sprinting towards the twins along with Tharja, leaving DeNile in their dust. The tactician shrugged, following his wife and daughter.

"Gods! What was that?" Merlin asked as he rose in a dazed state.

"An arrow..." Morgan formed an icy dagger, looking around. "Stay on guard. We can figure out the memory thing later."

Meanwhile, DeNile froze a part of the water, jumping and sliding forward on it, decapitating a sage. _Most of them are air units... Gonna try to utilize our sky units. _

The tactician threw her spear upwards, sinking it into the neck of a wyvern rider.

_-Chrom in danger, mage with a Valflame combating him-_

"Let me put an end to that!" DeNile spun on his heel, focusing his energy and attempting to cause a small pillar of ice to erupt between the two. Instead, a rogue arrow sank into his calf, causing the spinning to continue.

"Gyah" Morgan was instantly knocked back as a colossal pillar of ice erupted between her and her brother, sending them flying away from each other. The girl was thrown into the icy water, breath held.

"Father!" Noire cried.

"Gah..." DeNile pulled the arrow out of his leg. She watched the wound heal and smiled at her friend in the distance. "Thanks, Libra!" The white haired boy looked back, noticing that the two children had separated. "Crap... You two, we need to split up. Noire, you help Chrom. Tharja, you head for the boy, I've got the girl." Her family nodded, sprinting in their respective directions.

It didn't take too long for DeNile to reach the girl, quickly pulling her out of the water. "Hm... You look a little too young to be a treasure hunter. What brings you here?"

Morgan brightened up, despite being drenched. "There you are, Father! I was beginning to think we've gotten separated somehow!"

"...I-I'm sorry, what?"

Morgan giggled, wringing out a part of her cloak. "Well, no harm done, I guess. ...Goodness, the air here surely agrees with you! You look like, a decade younger! Anyway, let's find Merlin and head home, okay?"

"Wait wait wait, let's go back to the 'Father' thing... Did you travel back from the future with Lucina?" DeNile noticed the purple Mark of Grima branded on her right cheek, then looked at the one on his own left hand.

Morgan raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "Huh? Who's Lucina? And did you honestly just ask me if I came from the future? ...D-dad? Why are you looking at me like that? Hello? It's me! Morgan! ...Your daughter? Love of your life and Daddy's little girl and all that? Gods, you're acting strange today. Let's get Merlin, go home, and get you to bed... But which way is home? What country are we in? Who are those people you were fighting with? What's- Ngh!" Morgan clutched her head, falling to the ground. "My head!"

"Easy, Morgan!" DeNile took Morgan's hand and helped her to her feet, a frown on both faces. "Don't try to force it. Just stay calm and listen to Daddy, okay? Now, I know this sounds crazy, but I believe that you came from the future..."

"...Are you crazy? That's not even possible!"

"Actually... You said I looked younger, but look again. Morgan, I'm nineteen. What's not possible is that I could have a child as old as you. At this point in time, in OUR time, you haven't been born." DeNile put his hands on Morgan's shoulders, looking her in the eye.

"...Y-you do look younger... b-but..."

"It's hard, I know, and you don't have to believe me right this minute. But you have to come with me, it's dangerous alone, especially if your memory is gone. I was in the same position once, ya know. If Chrom hadn't found me lying in that field, who knows what would've happened to me..."

"Wait, you woke up in the middle of a field, too? Hah! Like father, like daughter, Huh? Oh, that is too funny!"

"...Glad to see you didn't inherit your mother's pessimism."

"Mother?" Morgan sighed, looking around. "Look's like Merlin was right..."

"Your brother?" Morgan nodded. "You don't remember Tharja?"

"Mother's name is Tharja? That's a pretty name... Where's she from?"

"Plegia."

"Cool! What's she look like?" Morgan beamed, eager to learn about her mother.

"Pale skin, black hair with bangs and two small ponytails, black eyes."

"Where'd you mee-"

"Morgan, I'd LOVE to answer these questions, but we really need to continue fighting." DeNile stood, spear in hand.

"Mhm!" Noire encased her fingers in icy claws, much to DeNile's surprise. "I inherited your ice magic, so I'm all set!"

* * *

><p>"I... Have another sister?" Merlin asked Tharja, smoothing back his hair. "Wow... Is she older than me?"<p>

"...Ugh. Yes." Tharja regretfully said, staring at the Mark of Grima on Merlin's left cheek. "Much taller, too..." **_Great. Two more kids to take away time that I could be spending with DeNile. Can my life get any better?_**

"Oooh... Well... What's Father like?"

"Well, for starters, he-"

"How old is he now?"

"It's rude to interrupt you mother. He's nineteen. White hair, skin like mine, wears her hair in a ponytail most of the time... She's also the sexiest thing to ever grace this Earth..."

"Mother." Merlin frowned, looking disgusted. "Please."

"My apologies... We should probably get back to combat. We wouldn't want to get ambushed."

"Right!" Merlin flashed his Levin Sword, grinning. "You made this, you know. Well, enchanted it."

"Good to know..."

* * *

><p>While the Shepherds recollected themselves upon battle's end, Tharja, DeNile, and Noire sat before the twins, who liked quite saddened after hearing them explain the story. "That's... A lot to take in..." They said in unison.<p>

"It's about everything we know about the situation at this point. We're still kind of in the dark about this..." DeNile said, shrugging.

"The future Morgan and I came from is in ruins... Are you sure about that?" Merlin asked, looking to his twin sister.

"P-possibly, yes. But you two could come from another future... We're fighting now to ensure that no one's future is lost. Unfortunately, if you join us, it'll mean more fighting for you, too." Noire said, biting her lip.

"I understand..." Morgan nodded. "Sorry, but even after hearing all of that, we don't remember anything but Father... Or Mother in Merlin's case."

"Don't apologize. We'll get your memory back bit by bit if we have to. Same goes for you, , if you start apologizing, I'll have to, too. My past is still full of holes, but I'm going about just fine. And you will, too. Besides, you have your sister to tell you all about your past, right, Noire?" Noire nodded, awkwardly smiling.

"Well, as long as we have you... We should be good. We'll get our memory back eventually, right? Besides, I can tell Morgan all about Mother, and she can tell me all about Father!" Merlin beamed, a grin on his face.

DeNile smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "Well, you do certainly take after me..."

"You know... I've always wanted to become a tactician!" Morgan said. "There's something I remember! And now with you to teach me first hand, I can finally achieve that dream!"

"Well, I'm glad you two are here."

Noire smiled, looking at her younger siblings. "I am, too. It's so nice to have you two back... E-even if you don't remember me..."

"..."

"Tharja?"

"..." The sorceress sighed, rolling her eyes. "...Glad to have you... here..." She mumbled.

* * *

><p><em>"Mother!"<em>

_"Father!"_

_The small twins ran up to their parents, both eager. "Look what I can do, Mother!" Merlin cupped both his hands and held them a few inches apart from eachother, focusing on the space in between. Suddenly, a ball of shadows appeared in it, causing Tharja to raise her eyebrow._

_"That's amazing, Merlin. And at the ripe age of eight... later than me, but still impressive." Tharja patted her son's head, prompting a giggle._

_"Ooh! Ooh! Daddy, Merlin may be able to use dark magic, but look what I can do!" With a wave of the hand, Morgan created a flurry of snow, causing both DeNile and Tharja to gasp._

_"M-Morgan!" Her father's smile grew wide. "That's incredible! Where'd you learn that?"_

_Morgan shrugged, giggling. "I didn't! I just snapped my fingers and poof! Snow!"_

_Merlin smoothed his hair back, attempting to look suave. "But mine's still better, right, Mother?"_

_"Of course it is, sweetie!" Tharja leaned next to Morgan, then whispered, "Yours is way cooler."_

* * *

><p><em>Merlin could not believe it. "My father is dead..." He thought to himself. "No... this has to be a mistake. He can't be dead..."<em>

_Morgan. Was. Broken. She stood there, horrified. It was no secret that Merlin was the more mature of the two, but he was the only one in the room whose face was dry, but eyes were filled with sorrow._

_Morgan simply stood there trembling. "Father..." Gaius had since then left the room with tears in his eyes, so she had no fear of embarrassing herself. "Why...?"_

_Merlin was not sad, he was angry. "How... How could you just leave us? Me, Mom, Noire, Morgan, you left us! You... You... Dumbass! You should've been more cautious! You should've... You should've just stayed..."_

_Morgan was also angry, but at another. "Mother... You stayed here. Father went out alone! And you... you let him! You could've went along, Noire could've looked after us just fine! You, y-you... If you would've went, he might still be alive!_

_Both were boiling with rage, grinding their teeth. I. Hate. You._

* * *

><p><em>"Go go go!" Kjelle commanded, signalling for everyone to run towards the time portal.<em>

_Merlin sprinted towards the blue opening, Nosferatu in hand. "M-Morgan! Are you ok?"_

_Morgan ran alongside him, panting. "I'm f-fine! Just run!"_

_The twins were attacking as they went, Merlin cutting through foes with his Levin Sword._

_"Heh heh heh... You two..." Morgan and Merlin gasped as Grima appeared in front of them, in his DeNile forme. "My children..."_

_"You..." Merlin held his sword forward, rage in his eyes._

_"You killed my father..." Morgan spat, glaring at him._

_Grima snickered, smiling. Normally, DeNile's eyes turned violet in battle. But with Grima, his eyes were red, the raindrops a deep black. "Yes, yes I did. He was a strong one, mind you. He made two wonderful children... The other one, not so much. Noire is... weak. But you..." Grima's eyes looked back between the two. "You two... Are untapped potential."_

_"No!" Merlin swung his blade, Grima blocking it with his forearm. Morgan shoved her spear forward, Grima exploding into dust._

_The Fell Dragon formed behind them, smiling. "Why waste your time? You can't change the flow of time! You two have my blood... Join me. You can be... How did your father put it...? Mini Grimas!"_

_The twins looked at the shell of a man, scowling. "You... you are not very nice..."_

_Grima cackled, looking down at Morgan. "Nice? I'm the OPPOSITE of nice, girl! Forget the offer, I wouldn't want my underlings to be so STUPID! Instead... I'll just kill you both. Here and now..."_

_"MORGAN! MERLIN!" Noire fired an arrow into the back of Grima, causing him to cry out._

_"Move!" The two dashed out of the way as Gerome crashed down on him, crushing him. "Run, now!"_

_"But-"_

_"Don't argue, go!"_

_The two sprinted towards the portal, Morgan looking back, only to see Grima reaching towards them, a smile on his face and a red mist engulfing his hands. "You may have escaped... but at what costs?"_

_"GYAH!" Both cried out as they got a pounding headache, both of them dropping to their knees. "G-go..." Merlin said._

_And which each crawl, they came closer to the portal, before finally collapsing into it."_

* * *

><p>"...Merlin?" Morgan asked, walking behind their parents and Noire.<p>

"...Mm...?"

"...We're gonna get our memories back, okay? We'll remember everything. Every last detail about our life."

Merlin smiled, looking to his sister. "...Yeah. Yeah, we will. I'm sure of it."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Ambivalence

"Hey, Cordelia?" Ricken looked up at his wife, who looked down at him with curious eyes. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

Cordelia nodded, trekking along the path ahead. "Sure thing, Ricken. What is it?"

"Well..." The young mage kicked at the dirt, something clearly on his mind. "Has... Has Lucina ever mentioned anything about you and I having a kid? Like, not anytime soon, but-"

"Ricken."

"Yeah?"

"You're 14. Even if we did, it'd be like, eight. But I wouldn't get my hopes up..." Cordelia looked up at the sky, spotting her pegasus flying overhead.

Ricken looked down, sighing. "Yeah... Yeah, you're right."

"Sorry if I made you feel a little down. But hey, maybe someday we'll have a kid. It can hang around with all the other kids and stuff..."

"Urgent news, sir!" A soldier sprinted up to a crooked man, accompanied by a crooked smile. "Armed soldiers approach! The leader claims to be Chrom of Ylisse!"

Nelson, the general, scowled, gritting his teeth. "Damnation! Why would he come here of all places? Well, if they insist on dogging me, I've got hounds of my own to welcome that with. Isn't that right, Severa?"

A short, brown haired girl with hair set in two ponytails scowled, growling at the man. "I'm not your dog, scum!"

Nelson gasped sarcastically. "No, only a stray mutt that refuses to stop yapping. But you'll be a good dog and do as I say if you ever want if you ever want-"

"I FUCKING know! You don't have to remind me!" Severa bit her bottom lip, looking down.

Nelson looked to a taller man, whose expression was grim. "I trust that you are equally aware of your position, Holland?"

Holland stayed silent, slowly blinking. "Hm. Mute as ever, I see. You'll fight for me, or have that lazy tongue pried from your head. Now. Chrom may have the Fire Emblem, but if I claim that, I claim the throne. So go out there, kill anything that moves, and get me that Emblem!"

Severa sighed, drawing her sword. "All this grief just for some stupid ring... Once I get what I came for, I'm out of here. I'm not associating myself with any of them..." The girl suddenly realized something, then gritted her teeth. "... I'll convince her to come with me... Maybe Holland, too..."

Cordelia mounted her pegasus, Ricken getting on behind her. "Ready, Ricken? I know you're not too fond of flying."

The boy shrugged petting the pegasus. "I'm not, but I just love Icarus so much! Such a beautiful creature..."

Cordelia giggled, always happy to listen to her husband's fascination with her dearest beloved animal. "Alright then. In that case, let's ride."

Icarus took off in a burst of wind, taking its riders into the sky. Ricken held onto his wife's waist, looking below him. To him, everything seemed so small. Part of the reason he enjoyed riding Icarus was because he didn't feel like such a small kid anymore.

The two dive bombed downwards, Cordelia piercing an enemy through the stomach and then lifting him into the air, dropping him. "Shit. Cordelia, Ricken, separate! Now!"

Cordelia had learned to trust the tactician's intuition, as had Ricken. She let him off, the boy running off somewhere. "...Fuck. My Gods, it's you..."

"Have we met?" Cordelia asked, eyeing Severa. "If so, I'm afraid I've quite forgotten."

The short girl scowled, looking up at the taller woman. "Well excuse me for being so forgettable!"

"Ugh. I don't have time for this. If you are an ally, speak now. If you're an enemy, stay out of Chrom's way or I'll have to cut you down."

"Gods! Chrom Chrom Chrom, its all you ever talk about! You have a HUSBAND, you know!"

"...Excuse me?"

"Listen!" Severa poked Cordelia in her forehead, glaring at her. "I don't care about your stupid Chrom, so you can just drop it! I only want to talk to Holland."

"Holland?" Cordelia looked to the mopey man standing behind a crumbling wall, looking quite nervous.

"Yeah, that sad sack over there. Watch my back so I can get to him, then I'll help your stupid army!"

Cordelia raised an eyebrow, not particularly fond of this girl's attitude. "Or you can just get on my pegasus. I'll gladly take you to him."

Severa's face went blank, the girl tilting her head. "W-what?"

"Here."

"Hey! Cut it out!" Cordelia pulled Severa onto Icarus despite her protests. "I never agreed to this!" Severa grabbed a hold of Cordelia's waist, clearly nervous.

"Hey, it's the quickest way to get to your friend. Ready?"

"NO!"

"Great!" The pegasus took off, Severa screaming, which drowned out Cordelia's laughs. Not a minute later, Severa tumbled off of the pegasus, sprinting over to Holland.

"Holland!"

"Hm?" Holland turned around, his eyes widening in horror as he spotted Severa. "Severa! If he knows you left your post..."

Severa cut him off, not really wanting to hear it. "I'm leaving, Holland. And you're coming with me."

The man sighed, shaking his head. "Severa, I can't. You know that. If I don't earn Nelson's coin, my wife will starve. It may be blood money, but-"

"Don't be a dumbass, Holland! Your wife is PREGNANT! You know that, don't you?!"

Holland arched his eyebrows, looking down on the girl. "Of course I do! And that's none of your concern!"

"Do you love your wife? Do you love your child?"

"Of course!"

"Then stop making FUCKING excuses! I know parents that will do ANYTHING for their children... But I also know how it feels when a child loses her parents. This world's got far too many kids who've had to go through that. If you stay, you'll be killed or worse. And your child deserves better!"

Holland stood there for a while, Cordelia raising an eyebrow. "Severa... I'm... Sorry. That must've been hard for you. You're right, my child deserves better. Let's get out of here."

Severa smiled, nodding. "You go on ahead, I have business to take care of."

* * *

><p>Nelson's death was a painless one. Cordelia dazed him by having Icarus kick him in the head. Severa then spun on her heel, decapitating him.<p>

Later on, Severa pulled something out of the corpse's pocket, a red ring. "Got it!"

"Hmph."

Severa turned around, spotting Cordelia. "What do you want?!"

"Just wanted to thank you for helping us. You fought bravely... Severa, was it?" She asked. Severa responded with a nod. "Suits you. My name's-"

"Cordelia, I know." Severa sighed, staring at the ring.

"Er... yes. I'm sorry, did I introduce myself before?"

Severa glared at the woman, scoffing. "You're smarter than this..."

"...Oh." Cordelia noticed that Severa's ring matched her own. "You're a friend of Lucina's, aren't you? And you're my child, isn't that right?" Severa mumbled something, gritting her teeth. "Pardon?"

"I didn't COME here for you, if that's what you're thinking... I came here for someone else."

"...Oh. I see... Your father, correct? Well, Ricken is-"

"Not that child, either. Look, if she's here, then we'll be seeing eachother a lot. If she's not... well, I hope you enjoyed this little conversation," Severa shoved the ring in her pocket and stood.

"Severa..."

"Goodbye."

Severa saw her there, fiddling with her bowstring. "...Noire?"

Noire's ears twitched, and Severa can see her shiver. "...Severa...?"

The archer turned around and was suddenly filled with happiness, as was Severa. "Severa!" Noire pulled her into a loving embrace, tears filling her eyes. "Oh..."

"Oh Gods, Noire... It's so good to see you again..." Severa squeezed the girl even tighter before Noire pushed away, looking Severa in the eyes.

"H-have you seen Kjelle? Is she with you?" Noire asked. Severa sighed, shaking her head. "Oh... W-what about Inigo? Cynthia? Owain? Yarne?"

"No... You're the first one of us I've met." The two girls sighed, looking at the ground.

Noire looked behind her, spotting her siblings laughing. "Well, Merlin and Morgan are here... They just woke up yesterday. How long have you been here? Lucina's been here a while."

"Eight months. You?"

"A year. Landed in Valm in the bottom deck... had to sneak out..."

"Well..." Severa smiled, putting a hand on Noire's shoulder. "I'm just glad we're together again."

* * *

><p><em>"Severa! Come here, please!" Cordelia shouted from outside her room. Severa groaned, always dreading to see her mother. <em>

_ The toddler slowly walked to her mother, only to see her standing behind her father on his desk. "Oh, there you are, Severa! What took you so long?" _

_ "...I fell..." _

_ Cordelia frowned, kneeling down to her daughter. "You fell? Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" Severa groaned, nodding. "Good. Now, your father and I wanted you to make some friends. So... Tharja! Sully!" _

_ Tharja and Sully entered the room, their children in front of them. "Why hello there, Severa!" Tharja said, smiling. _

_ "Yo. How Ya doin'?" _

_ "...Fine." _

_ Ricken lead Severa to the two girls, none with smiles on their faces. "This is Noire, and this is Kjelle. Say hello!" _

_ "..." Severa growled, looking to the two and frightening Noire. "Hi." _

_ "H-hello... M-my name's Noire. Nice to meet you..." Noire bit her bottom lip, trembling. _

_ "My name is Kjelle, pleased to meet you," Kjelle said as she bowed, her hair falling as she bent over._

_ Cordelia giggled, looking to Ricken. "Alright! You three play nice now, ya hear? Us adults have something to do, bye bye!"_

* * *

><p><em> "My mother's... dead?" Severa looked up at Gaius with grim eyes, her mood entirely dampened. <em>

_ Gaius sighed, hesitantly speaking. "Y-yeah... Sorry... Same with your dad..." _

_ Severa's heart sank, her eyes softening. "...This is a joke, right?"_

_ "I'm... I'm afraid not. Taken down by a barrage of wyverns. Torn apart... I-I had to watch it... Oh gods..." Gaius buried his face in his hands, trembling._

_ Severa honestly didn't want to believe it. She didn't have the greatest relationship with her mother, but she was still her mother, damn it. And Ricken... Severa had a great relationship with her dad. They always went shopping together, he did her hair, and she even sometimes wore his hat. Ricken completely destroyed the gloom that she always had, and now that he was gone, who knew what would happen?_

_ As for her mother..._

_ "Good riddance."_

* * *

><p><em> Severa sighed, laying down on her bed while playing with a rubber band that she had found. To her right was Noire, who was reading one of her father's old tomes. To her left was Kjelle, who was fiddling with a dagger that Vaike had given her. "...How ya holdin' up, Noire?" Severa asked, looking to her girlfriend.<em>

_ Noire sighed, flipping a page in the tome. "I'm fine, Severa... Honest."_

_ Kjelle sighed, shaking her head. "Noire, you're not. Ever since Tharja died, you've been a wreck. Come on, cheer up. You're around your girlfriends all day, every day. The least you can do is be happy."_

_ "Besides!" Severa sat up, putting an arm around Noire. "She abused you every day. Sure, most of the time we were there to intervene, but that doesn't change the fact that she's a horrible mother. You should be glad she's gone!"_

_ Noire's lip began to quiver, her eyes dampening. "I-I know... But... Since Dad died, she's been the only parent that I've had and... and..." The girl burst out in tears, sobbing into her hands._

_ "Shit. Sorry, Noire... I didn't mean-"_

_ Kjelle put a finger under Noire's chin and locked lips with the crying girl, wiping the tears away with her thumb. "Noire, it's fine. We've all lost our parents. Hell, only people who still have at least one of their parents are Brady, Owain, Laurent, and Nah. And after Gaius was poisoned last week, things aren't looking so good for him. Miriel's magic isn't working, and... well..."_

_ "What Kjelle's saying is that we've all lost people, Noire. Remember how broken I was when Ricken passed? All I did was cry for like, a week. But you two were there for me. And now..." Severa pulled both her girlfriends into a hug, smiling. "We're going to be here for you."_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Noire."<p>

"Y-Yes? What is it, Severa?" Noire looked down at the girl and noticed an unusual smile on her face as they walked.

Severa poked Noire in the side, earning a smile. "When this is all over, where do you think we'll go?"

"What do you mean?" Noire asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Well... Once all of us are born. We can't exactly stick around."

"...Why not?"

Severa looked up, staring at the woman. "What do you mean 'why not'? Let's use... Gerome for example. If we find him and he ends up living with his parents when this is all over, then they'll have two Gerome's walking around. And hell, you're already born!"

"W-Well... That's not really a bad thing. I can be like, a big sister... to myself. Or I can live with you and Kjelle and treat Mother and Father like close friends. Heh. Present me can call me Aunt Noire!" Noire smiled, looking down on Severa.

"That's... Ugh. Of course I want to live with you and Kjelle when this is all over... so... I guess we can go with your idea." Noire smiled, glad to see Severa agree with her. "...Hey, what do you say when we find someplace to sleep, you and I have a little fun, huh?"

Noire's face instantly turned red, stopping in her tracks. "Oh come on," Severa put a hand on her hip. "It's been a year for you. You must be DYING to. I know I am."

"...Without Kjelle?"

"Oh, I'm sure she won't mind..."

Noire hesitantly nodded, embarrassed out of her mind. "Great!... Oh..." Severa smiled, sighing. "I've missed you..."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Duel Disgraced

"Dishonorable cur!"

"Hmmm?" A filthy, tall man with long hair looked back, only to see a girl wearing fairly large armor approach him.

"You!" Kjelle pointed her lance at the man, rage in her eyes. "And now you will face me!"

The man, Cassius, rolled his eyes, sighing. "If that pile of pudding was your master, I'd advise you to just keep walking. Like master, like trainee."

Kjelle growled. "Craven dog. You claimed a hostage! He would've never lost in a fair fight!"

"Nor would he have wanted this, Kjelle!" A maiden said, putting hands on Kjelle's armor. "If I lose you as well as, I..."

"You won't lose me, Carla. I swear it. And your husband will be avenged!"

Cassius sighed, rolling his eyes. "If you want to dive headfirst into your own grave, I won't stop you. We can duel in the ruins ahead."

"So, this is where your Voice led you, DeNile?" Chrom looked around, not really finding sense in a child being in an abandoned mansion.

The girl nodded, her violet vision disappearing in a literal blink of an eye. "Yeah... Right here..."

"Sir! Please! You have to do something!" Carla sprinted up to the two, tripping over her own dress.

"Hm?" DeNile rose to his feet after kneeling. "What's up?"

"I-it's my friend, sir! I fear she's walking into a terrible trap! That scoundrel Cassius would never fight an honest duel... My husband took a similar stand against his tyranny not long ago. The brute took a girl hostage and then cut my husband down as he lowered his weapon!" The woman sniffled, tears in her eyes. "I can't let her suffer the same fate!"

Both leaders nodded, signalling for the rest of the Shepherds to enter. "F-Father?" Noire asked, looking up at her dad.

"Hm? What is it, Noire?"

Noire's eyes darted to Sully and Donnel, then to Severa, then back to her dad. "What did the girl look like? In your vision, I mean."

"Oh. Well... Brown hair, blue eyes, tall, wearing armor. Looked like the dominant type, but-"

Noire and Severa instantly sprinted away, excitement in their eyes.

"Coward!" Kjelle called from across the room. "You promised me a duel, you soulless blackheart!"

Cassius smirked, rolling his eyes. "Indeed I did. Consider all these men my seconds, heh. But I'm not a monster. I'll spare your life if you get on your knees and beg!" Cassius gestured to the large amount of soldiers that he had rallied, smiling.

"I'd sooner die than bow down to the likes of you!"

"Well, we can arrange that, too. Have at her, boys!"

Sully drew her blade after recently being reclassed to a myrmidon, which she wasn't TOO fond of. "Girl's got a fire in 'er. I like it..."

"Well, looky 'er, Sully. She's got yer eyes!" Donnel said, leaning against his silver sword.

Sully smirked, eyeing the girl. "And your exact hair color. Funny, huh?"

"...Uh... Sully?"

"...Shit." Sully began to sprint towards the girl, Donnel right behind her. "Holy crap! Donny, it's our daughter! Can ya believe it?"

"S-slow down there, Sully!" Donnel said, panting as he ran. "We can't be sure!"

"Are you kidding?" Sully jumped and spun in the air, cutting an enemies throat as she landed. "The resemblance is uncanny!"

"I-I know! But ya really think that that's 'er? Ah mean, she's a lot taller than both of us."

"Hm?" Cassius turned around and spotted the two running towards the large room, his eyes widening. "Men!" A few of his soldiers pushed the two door together, sealing the room off.

"Dagnabbit!" Donny said, looking quite upset. "DeNile! Li'l help 'ere!"

"I've got it!" Since DeNile was a bit occupied, Morgan concentrated and completely froze over the doors, proceeding to shatter the large barrier.

"Thanks, Morgan!" Sully called. The pair rushed into the room, only to be greeted by a large bundle of troops. "Donny?"

"Got it," Donnel sheathed his sword and drew a hatchet, fully prepared to cut his way through.

Blood flew everywhere, screams filling the area. While Donnel hacked away, Sully used her killing edge to cut down every enemy in her path, occasionally receiving a little help from another one of the Shepherds. Once they saw Kjelle, they nodded to eachother and ran again.

"Hey!" Sully called, Kjelle turning her head. "Hey..." The woman panted, looking up to the girl.

"Um... hello. You look familiar..." Kjelle turned her head to Donnel, raising an eyebrow. "As do you..."

"What's your name, girlie?" Donnel asked, smiling.

"It's Kjelle. What is yours?"

Sully put a hand on Kjelle's shoulder, happiness in her eyes. There was no doubt about it now. "I'm Sully, and that's Donnel."

"...No way..."

Sully pulled her daughter into a hug as best as she could with Kjelle wearing gigantic armor. Donnel also joined in, giving his offspring a loving embrace. "Mother...? Father...?"

Sully nodded, a knot in her throat as he voice cracked. "Mhm... Oh, Kjelle..." At this point, all three parties were in tears, not caring about the bloodshed going on around them.

"I-I have so many questions..." Kjelle said, her lip quivering. "First thing's first... Are Noire and Severa with you? They're my girlfriends, and-"

"Plural?" Donnel asked.

"It's polyamorous. I just need to know if they're here."

"Um..." Donnel scratched the back of his head. "I dunno what that means, but yeah, they're here. A matter o' fact, they got all excited when they saw ya."

"Dating the daughter of the head tactician, eh?" Sully smirked, nudging her daughter. "Ya scored high, darlin'."

Kjelle smiled awkwardly, blushing. "Well she kinda needed support after her dad died, and we'd been friends for a long time. I guess things kind of escalated. And Severa was there to speed things up..."

"Well ah hope they make you a happy woman, Kjelle. Now..." Donnel spun his hatchet around. "Whaddya say we take out the rest of these cowards?"

* * *

><p>"Yeehaw!"<p>

"Hiyah!"

"Yah!"

Donnel sliced open Cassius' stomach with his hatchet, while Sully cut his throat with her Killing Edge. Kjelle finished him off by decapitating him with the blade of her lance, sending his head flying.

"Kjelle!" Carla ran up to her friend, a smile on her face. "Oh thank the gods you're alive!"

"I told you I'd come out alright, Carla. Now your husband is avenged," Kjelle smiled, putting her lance away.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you! If you were to perish, I don't know what I would do! Now, come, let us return home, away from this wretched place..."

Kjelle frowned, shaking her head and sighing. "Carla, I can't go with you..."

Carla's eyes saddened, a confused look on her face. "Wh-what? Why not?"

"Well..." Kjelle looked to Donnel and Kjelle, a smile on her face. "I found my family. I would love to go with you, but... I can't. I've been looking for them for a very long time, and... well..."

"I understand, Kjelle. Family's important, I would know. I guess this is goodbye..." Carla sighed, hugging Kjelle. "I hope to see you again..."

"As do I..."

* * *

><p>"Kjelle!" Noire jumped into Kjelle's arms, the taller girl spinning her around. "Y-You're safe!"<p>

Severa ran up to the two, a wide grin on her face. "Wow, you managed to not die. I'm impressed, K." Kjelle rolled her eyes, somehow always amused by her girlfriend's sarcasm. "But seriously, I'm glad you're here. How long?"

"About a year now... I landed in a Plegian coliseum. I had to fight my way out. I honestly enjoyed it."

"D-did you find anyone else?" Noire asked with wide eyes.

Kjelle sighed and shook her head, causing Noire to sigh. "What about you?"

"Well... I think I saw Inigo at a dance concert a few weeks back."

"Really?" Kjelle smiled. "Where was it?"

Noire tapped her chin, thinking of where she was at the time. "I think it was in Vavua... Yeah... Y-yeah, Vavua. I wanted to entertain myself to get my mind off all the sorrow, so I went to a concert. And I swore I saw him practically in tears... Hey... N-now that I think about it, Brady was there with him! So was Owain... and Yarne. I saw Laurent's hat, too! Gerome as well!"

A smile spread across Severa's face, the girl clearly intrigued. "Well, looks like we know where we're going next. Kjelle, tell DeNile that we're heading for Vavua."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: An Ensemble of Oafs

"...I miss them," a boy with a scar on his cheek sighed, taking a sip of his drink. His face looked quite rough, like he was a hardened, tough man. "A lot..."

"Says you..." A boy, clearly taguel, sighed. He brushed his hair back with his hand, a tint of blonde in it. "I'm the last of my species, how do you think that makes me feel?"

A white haired, dashing man blew hot air, leaning back in his chair. "Probably like crap. I know I miss my mom..."

"Mother's boy, I take it? Interesting! I too know the feeling, all because my dearest brother Brady is one himself!"

The ruffian punched the blonde boy, presumably his brother. "Ah shaddap, Owain. Don't act like you don't miss Mother, too."

A tall boy wearing an over sized hat adjusted his

glasses, sighing at the behavior of his friends. "Would you four cease being quite so capricious?"

"For once, I agree with Laurent..." A boy with blonde hair that was slicked backed sighed, curiously wearing a black mask. "You guys really do need to shut up."

The blue haired boy, Brady, grumbled, crossing his arms. His mood suddenly down, Owain put his head on his hand, slouching over the table. "Ugh... Where the hell could they be?"

The white haired dashing fellow, Inigo, shrugged. "Well, we're in Vavua. Don't you think we should be in Ylisstol instead?"

The boy with the mask, Gerome, shook his head. "I heard that Chrom was almost assassinated, so that means Lucina saved him. I only hope that they're looking for us."

"Well..." Yarne but his lip. "I think I saw Noire at that dance concert Inigo dragged us to a few weeks back. But maybe it was just someone looked like-"

"How big were her boobs?"

"W-what?!" Yarne's cheeks turned red. "Inigo! Why would you-"

"Just tell me."

Yarne sighed, shaking his head. "About a C..."

Inigo smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Yup. It's her."

"Yarne, you're a Taguel. Shouldn't you have been able to smell her? You have her scent, after all," Laurent asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yarne took a long sniff, deeply exhaling. "Yeah, I should've. But I'm guessing that the time travel must've messed it up..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Man... You know, it kinda feels good not being the only taguel alive. Sure, I haven't even seen the other one, but it's just reassuring."

"Bartender!" Within an instant, Gerome's mug was refilled, the man taking a sip of his drink. "Ugh. Look, maybe we should just head to Ylisstol. It's a day's walk there, and a few of us could just ride Minerva to it. I can't be the only one that's thought if that."

Owain spoke up, raising a finger and grinning. "I, too, had the same thought! Your beastly mount can get us to Ylisstol within a day!"

Brady sighed, shaking his head. "You didn't think of that, Owain. Don't even try to-"

"AVAST!"

"Yah!" Brady's ax slammed into the head of a scrub-tier ruffian, apart of a band of brigands that had ambushed the boys. Yarne was prancing around, kicking enemies as we went. Laurent was as skillful as ever, brazenly throwing flames that danced on his fingertips around. For Gerome, Minerva did most of the work, clamping her jaws over her foes. Inigo deftly danced on the battlefield, his Silver Sword seeming to have a mind of his own. Owain, with his blade dubbed "Shadow Darkness", dramatically felling his victims.

They easily won, looting the corpses as they spoke quite awkwardly. "You know, maybe all the girls ended up together, like we did," Inigo suggested, taking out a bag of gold coins.

"Well," Laurent wiped the blood off his glasses with his robe. "That would be unlikely. We are missing a male, Merlin."

Gerome groaned as Minerva attempted to eat one of the corpses, as he always told her that the things they carried would make her sick. "So he probably ended up with Morgan. Speaking of which..."

Owain sighed, his heroic mask fading. "Come on, Gerome. Don't be like that..."

Inigo snickered, eyeing his dramatic friend. "Yeah... You miss her, don't you? I would, too, with a body like that..."

"Dude, she's thirteen. Come on."

"Well..." Brady smiled. "Then why're you always eyeing her?"

"Because I'm not that much older! And what do you expect? I don't exactly have much options for a girlfriend." Owain grumbled, poking a dead body out of annoyance.

"Let's go over your options, shall we?" Brady smiled, causing Owain to groan. "Severa, Kjelle, and Noire are together. Lucina's too stern, Cynthia's the opposite, and I've already got Nah."

Owain sighed, rolling his eyes. "And you say I go for the young ones..." He mumbled.

"Look, I think-" Yarne stopped mid sentence, sniffing the air. "...Is that...?"

"BLOOD..."

Yarne's body stiffened up, while the rest of his friends just trembled. "Oh Gods..."

"AND..."

They could see her in the distance, running at them at the speed of a stampede of buffalo. "GODS HELP US."

"THUNDER!" The first person she even approached was Inigo, knocking the buff man to the ground. "INIGO! HOW DARE YOU ABANDON US!?"

"N-Noire!" Inigo smiled, glad to see one of his best friends. "Holy crap! It's you!"

"WHY OF COURSE 'TIS ME! DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DESERT YOU, ONE OF MY CLOSEST COMRADES!? INSOLENCE!"

Inigo looked up a bit and saw a bunch more people approaching them, the man recognizing some of them. "No way..."

The tears had begun to flow, especially from Brady. "W-Wait..." Lissa massaged her temples, confused. "How did we have kids? You weren't adopted, you two have the brand, but..."

Owain grinned, clasping his mother's shoulder. "Magic, dearest mother! Bestowed upon you and Mom by the darkest of Mages in the army!"

Tharja smirked, pleased to know she had achieved such wonders. "Really? Well, looks like my powers grow stronger over the years."

Owain looked at the brand on his hand while Brady looked to the one on his wrist, both smiling. "Ma, you know have no idea how good it is to see you... You, too, mom."

Meanwhile, Inigo was practically bawling in the eyes of his mother, Olivia, who was also quite flustered. "M-Mother! Oh, it's so good to see you a-again!"

Olivia awkwardly patted her son's back, not really sure what to do. "W-well... It's good to meet you, Inigo."

Inigo looked up, tears still in his eyes. "Wh-where's father?"

"...Right... Your father... Who is that, again?"

"HEY YOU GUYS!"

"GYAH!"

Henry stared intensely at Inigo's hair, keeping his usual smile. "Cool hair, dude!"

"Father!" Inigo said throwing his arms around Henry.

"Father?!" Olivia gasped, pointing as gasping. "That maniac is not your father! He killed a dog!"

"I didn't kill a-"

"HE KILLED A DOG!"

"So..." Libra asked, looking to his son. "How old are you?"

Yarne smiled. He was happy to see his parents, but there were no tears, only smiles. "Nineteen... In human years."

"Well..." Panne surveyed him, checking under his ears and the softness of his fur. "Hm... Well, you certainly are a fine specimen. Fur's fine, ears are good, although your voice does sound a bit raspy..." The taguel smiled, embracing her son. "Well, you still are my son, afterall."

Meanwhile, Gerome was simply tending to his wyvern, ignoring the pitiful reunions in the background. "That's a fine wyvern you've got there..." He heard.

"Mm..."

Cherche pet the creature, causing it to purr. "My oh my, she's the same breed as my wyvern, Minerva. Hm. Same teeth, same eyes, same... scar... wait..."

Gerome growled, baring his teeth. "..."

"You're my son, aren't you? What's your name? It's Gerome, isn't it?" Cherche asked, curious about her offspring.

"How'd you know?"

The woman smiled, giggling. "I've always wanted to name my child Gerome, after my father. Speaking of which... I'm not married... Who is your father?"

Gerome sighed, shaking his head. "My father is dead. If you are speaking of the man that will eventually be my father, it's the sell sword."

"Gregor?!"Cherche gasped, surprised to hear her future husband's name. "B-but-"

"You fall in love about a year from now." Gerome tightened Minerva's saddle. "He takes you out to dinner and proposes. Nine months later, I'm born. Grima resurrects not long after, you two die, I'm left to fend for myself, and I follow Lucina and the rest of those idiots into the time portal."

"Oh... Well... I'm sorry your father and I left you-"

"I did fine on my own!" Gerome shouted. The entire area was silent, everyone stared on the two, caught off guard by Gerome's outburst. The man sighed, getting on the back of his wyvern. "I'll be out... I'll follow you guys later."

"Gerome-" But it was too late, he had taken off, his mount soaring through the sky.

"BRADY!"

"Eh?" Brady turned around, only to be tackled by a girl who was about four feet tall. "WOAH! MA! HELP! RAPE!"

"Brady! Holy shit, everyone's here! Fuck me!" The orange haired girl looked around, all of the children excited to see her.

"Nah!" Noire approached the girl and helped her up, Brady getting up by himself. "Oh my gods! It's you!"

Nah smiled, her brown eyes lighting up. "You bet your ass! I was flying overhead and saw Brady riding Minerva, so I dived right down! Wait! Are my parents here?"

"Holy shit you're a manakete. MY DAUGHTER!" Nowi ran up to Nah and threw her arms around her, a smile on her face. "Woah! This is like, so fucking cool! I have a daughter! GAIUS!"

Gaius kneeled down to look at his daughter, smiling. "So, you're little Nah, eh? Heh. You know, I've heard a lot about you from-"

"I'm not fucking little."

Gaius snickered, ruffling the girl's hair. "Aaaand your mom passed down her foul mouth. Peachy. You seemed to have inherited my hair, and judging from your belt..." He looked at her waist, where her belt was lined with various sweets, "My sweet tooth."

Meanwhile, DeNile was with Tharja (as usual), looking over the children. "Well, unless Lucina lied, we've got one more, and I think I know where they might be... just a hunch, though."

"Well..."The sorceress sighed. "What do you want to do now?"

"Hm..."DeNile smiled, suddenly getting an idea. "We've been a bit stressed lately... whaddya say we go to a bit of a place of relaxation? Perhaps... a hot spring?"


	21. Chapter 21

**So, I figured I might as well dive into some DLC territory. So here's Hot Spring Scramble, one of the longer chapters in this story. Also, I wanted to ask you guys a question: Do you like DeNile as a character? Character development is a big thing for me as a writer, and I wanted some feedback from the readers! So make sure to send me feedback in a review!**

Chapter 21: Relaxation

DeNile and his army entered the large building, all looking around the vast area. It was so huge, you couldn't even tell you were indoors. It might as well have been an outdoor spa. "Hmm... I'm fairly certain this is the place..."Chrom said examining the room.

"Oh, welcome!" A green haired merchant approached the party, a b on his face. She was one of the Annas, who DeNile was all too familiar with after several trips to the market. "You must be Chrom, right? Well, I have your reservation right here. Has your whole party arrived, or are you still waiting on a few?"

"Umm... First, could you just confirm we've arrived in the, er...you know?"

"The Bathrealm? That's right!" Anna said, smiling. "Don't be embarrassed. My sisters DID explain what you're in for when you made the reservation, right?"

"Well..." Chrom started. "Apparently you have some sort of healing waters in which we can soak?"

"That's right—our hot springs. Each has its own special properties! Anyway, make yourselves right at home. We're honored to have you! And as honorable guests, you get to wear yukatas!"

"Yukatas?" Chrom asked, tilting his head. "I'm afraid I don't know what those are..."

"You've never heard of a yukata?" DeNile asked, looking to his friend. "It's what she's wearing. I-t's kinda a loose robe that you fasten with a belt called an 'obi," she explained, educating Chrom.

Chrom nodded, examining Anna's yukata. "I see..."

"Hey, smart gal. Cute one, too."

DeNile's blush was opposed by Tharja's scowl, the raven haired woman glaring at the merchant. "So, I've got yukata's for all of your swordmasters, and one for you. But I'd hate to be rude, so we have a few extra in storage if any of your friends want some-"

"MOTHER! FATHER! LUCY!"

And that makes thirteen.

Lucina looked behind her, only to be joyful not a second later. Her little sister bounced into her arms, swinging around. "Cynthia! What are you doing here?!"

The short, blue haired girl grinned, looking up on her elder sister. "Well... I woke up here! Like, yesterday!"

"She's yours?" Anna asked, gesturing to Cynthia. "Ooooh. You're THAT Chrom. And you must be Sumia!"

DeNile smiled as the final child reunited with her parents, Sumia especially freaking out. Then, he heard her own children cry out. "MOTHER! FATHER! NOIRE!" They yelled in unison, running up to them, both wearing yukatas.

"Merlin? Morgan? What is it?" Tharja asked, looking down on the two.

"W-we went to the hot springs!" Morgan exclaimed.

"To get there a bit early!" Merlin told them.

"AND THERE ARE RISEN EVERYWHERE!" They both cried.

So far, today's been pretty eventful... "Ugh. Shit..." Anna pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Not again. See, this is what I get for setting up shop in snow country. When everything's cold and the warmest place for miles is here, wildlife's gonna pop up everywhere."

"Wildlife?" Lissa scoffed. "These guys aren't fluffy enough to be wildlife. So, are we doing something or what? We can't relax in the water with all the dead things in it."

DeNile answered for Chrom, who was still excited from seeing his second born daughter. "Of course," his spear sprung to life, Merlin drawing his levin sword, Morgan encasing her hand in ice, Noire drawing her bow, and Tharja... well, she just smiled creepily. "Alright, everyone! To the hot springs!"

"Wow," DeNile instantly looked around, only to see that the risen weren't very... agressive. "They're just... sitting there..."

"FOOLS!" Noire cried, loading an arrow. "While the enemy approaches, they sit there idly, soaking their puny bodies?! THEY DESERVE WORSE THAN WHAT IS COMING TO THEM!" The girl fired her arrow at what was essentially a sitting duck, the arrow sinking into its neck.

"You know..." Merlin smiled and waved his sword, lightning striking one of the hot springs and electrocuting all of the risen. "I know this is stupid, but... maybe we could relax? While fighting, of course."

"Hm?" Morgan tilted her head. "You're right, that is incredibly stupid."

"Well actually..." DeNile smiled. "We could take it easy. Of course, focus on the fight, though... and don't stay so close together. We need to split up."

His family nodded as they began to separate, mostly in pairs. "...Ok, they're gone." DeNile turned to his wife, a saddened look on her face that worried Tharja.

"DeNile? My love, what's wrong?" The woman asked with a concerned tone.

DeNile bit his lip, his eyes darting back and forth. "Do you... Ugh. Hold on..."

Not even ten minutes later, the couple were soaking in a risen-free hotspring, both in the nude. DeNile was more flustered than he usually was, while Tharja's face was a deep red. "You were going to ask me something?"

"Y-yeah... Do you... love our children?" She asked, looking sadly at her wife.

"What...?" Tharja was taken back by the question, a confused look replacing her normal face. "O-of course I do!... I mean... well..."

"Thar..."

"..." The woman sighed, sinking lower into the water. "I... I don't know..."

"Why not?"

"I feel like... I feel like whoever you make friends with get in the way of us. Whenever we have dinner back at the garrison, I hate seeing you with all your friends. Libra, Gaius, Donnel... I know it's stupid-"

"Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course I do! Just... I want you to be happy with me. Not anyone else. And I feel like a bad mother for feeling the same about my own children. And... other things..."

DeNile raised her eyebrow. "Other things? Like what?"

Tharja sighed, biting her lip. "I'm not exactly sure I should tell you..." When she saw the look on her wife's face, she just had to speak. "You know how Severa and Kjelle have been so... bitter, to me ever since they saw me?" DeNile nodded. "Well... the other day, Severa went into my tent while you were in a meeting, just to tell me off. I asked her why she was being so hostile, and she told me that after you died, I used Noire as my essential guinea pig for testing hexes..."

"What?!" DeNile moved so that she splashed the water. "No way! You wouldn't-"

"DeNile. You've known me for two years," Tharja sighed, tears in her eyes. "You know I would. I don't WANT to, believe me, but... that's horrible. And when it comes to Merlin, I was never too nice to him, yet he still adores me. Same goes for Morgan, though she's more of a daddy's girl."

The amnesiac shook her head, still skeptical. "Well, that's not the Tharja I know. Not the Tharja I fell in love with. I believe that you CAN be a good mother if you try. Like, for starters, don't ignore them. I love your personality, but when it comes to our kids, you can't exactly do that."

"I know..."

DeNile scooted closer to his wife, planting a kiss on her lips. "...I love you, okay?"

Tharja nodded, smiling a tiny bit. "Right..."

"Hey, Noire, are your parents okay?" Severa approached her girlfriend, sword in hand. "They seem a bit... off."

"Hm?" Noire wasn't in her state of rage as she usual was, instead timidly firing arrows into the distance. "Off? What do you mean?"

"Well for starters they're not fighting. They're in a separate hot spring... Naked. And your mom's crying."

Noire began to gag, hunching over. "Oh GODS! Severa, why would you put that image in my head?!"

Severa laughed, amused at Noire's disgust. "Hey, I'm just trying to tell you what's going on... hey, why aren't you all 'Blood and Thunder!'?"

"Huh? Oh... I dunno."

"Speaking of which, how does that even work? Is it like, just a persona? Or is it actual thing like your dad has?" The chestnut haired girl asked curiously.

"W-well..." Noire's bit her lip, not entirely sure of the answer. "I'm not sure... Daddy's alternate personality takes over only when he goes into battle, but mine goes on and off randomly. Heh. Right now I could go off on you..."

Severa shrugged. "Eh. Funny thing is, I will never understand how you even still have it, though. Didn't Tharja like, burn your talisman?"

"Mhm. Kjelle has this theory that I just inherited it from dad, but the talisman just sped up the process of it like... emerging? I guess that's the word."

Severa tilted her head, tapping her chin. "I guess that's probably the most probable answer... Anyway, you should probably go rage Noire. For your own sake. Because we're heading to-"

"YES! WE SHALL AMBUSH THE RISEN SCUM AND TEAR THEIR NONEXISTENT HEARTS OUT THROUGH THEIR MOUTHS! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Atta, girl."

"So! How've you been doing?! I've been great! I've only been awake a day, though. Everyone told me that most of them have been awake for like, a year! The portal sent me so far ahead! Although I'm kind of glad. They've been without their friends for a long time! Of course, I've been without you two for a few years now. But now you're here! So, what year is it? Am I born yet? Wait, no, I heard Ricken talking about how only Noire and Lucina are born. You know Severa's the youngest? I'm the second youngest! Then Nah, then Morgan and Merlin, then-"

"Cynthia," Chrom knelt down and put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "Please. Breath. It's important to your health."

Cynthia took a deep breath, then extendedly exhaled. "Ah... There we go. Sorry, it's just so nice to see you!"

Sumia grinned, staring down at her daughter. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you. We've heard a lot about you from Lucina. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She's fighting the Risen with Yarne. Gods, I hate risen..." Cynthia said, frowning.

"We all do."

"No. I REALLY. REALLY Hate risen. With a burning passion."

Sumia raised an eyebrow, confused. "Really? Any particular reason?"

"Mhm! Because that's how you died! Your pegasus was shot down by an archer, and then you fell into a horde of risen! I was there to watch it!" Cynthia growled and turned towards the risen, getting on her pegasus. "I'm gonna go kill them!"

Chrom snickered a bit, watching his overzealous daughter take off towards the heard of undead.

"...I'm still not marrying you."

"Aw, come on!" Inigo sighed, pulling Henry in front of Olivia. "He's a good guy, mother! I swear!"

Olivia glared at the white haired boy, scowling. "Good guys don't kill innocent little puppies!"

"I was actually just feeding it-"

"FEEDING IT THE HEART OF YOUR ENEMIES!"

"How'd you know?"

Olivia nearly fainted, letting out a high pitched squeak. "See! He's a monster!"

Inigo sighed, shaking his head. "Mom. You married him in the future, right? You'll eventually change your mind. Just give into it."

"How can I marry someone I don't even have feelings for?!"

"Well, if it helps, I have feelings for you!" Henry snickered, Olivia gasping. "Eyup. In my opinion, you're the prettiest girl in the Shepherds!... Gods, I hope Tharja didn't hear that. We were friends in school, you know. Anyway, I'd be happy to marry you."

"H-Henry..."

Inigo snickered, taking a step back. "I'll just leave you two alone..."

"Gerome!" Cherche and Gregor flew in the air, where Gerome was simply hovering, idly watching the combat below him.

"Son! Why you all with the sadness? Why you no fight?" Gregor asked his son, tilting his head.

Gerome did his usual sigh. "Why do you care? Haven't I told you enough that I don't care about any of you? As soon as this war is over, I'm leaving."

"Aw!" Cherche frowned. "Why? Don't you want to hang around you friends?"

"...Friends?" The boy scoffed, sitting up. "I don't have any friends, only allies," he then took off, leaving his parents to sit there, sorrow on their faces.

"You."

"Gods..." Tharja rolled her eyes and spun on her heel with her hand on her hip, "Not you again..."

"What, don't like me?" Kjelle scowled. "Well that's too bad. You know who doesn't like YOU? Noire. Your own daughter."

"Well Merlin adores me, so that makes up for it," the woman immediately regretted that due to her conversation with her husband just minutes ago. "And haven't you told me this dozens of times already?"

"Oh, I have, I just want to make sure you know it."

"So you're being a bitch for the sake of being a bitch, huh?"

Kjelle gasped, anger in her eyes. "Excuse me?! How DARE you? How old are you anyway, eighteen? I'm twenty, so that's no way to someone older than you."

"Did you really just say you're older than me?" Tharja snickered. "You're even more stupid than I thought you were. Well, I guess you have to choose between brains and brawn."

"Ugh. How does it feel to know that one of your children hate you?"

"She doesn't. Noire hates the FUTURE me. And the present Noire loves the present me. And so does your Noire. Because unlike the so called villain that you make me out to be, I actually love my kids. You know, I don't think that Noire would appreciate her girlfriend hating her beloved mother. Oh well. I could just wipe you off the face of this earth. Hell, I can erase everyone's memory of you, if I wanted. You'd be labeled a spy, then off with your head! Heh!" Tharja giggled in that creepy way she always did.

"Y-you wouldn't..." Kjelle said, frightened.

"If you think that, you clearly don't know me..." Tharja turned around, continuing her walk. "Oh, and one more thing... If you think making an enemy of your girlfriend's mother, who the tactician of your army loves so much, is a good idea, then you've made a terrible mistake..."

"FUCK YEAH!" Nah spat dragonfire at an oncoming Swordmaster, burning his undead soul. "How Ya doin', Brady?"

"Stellar!" Brady stood on his heel and swung his ax with all his might, creating a human top, spinning around and bisecting several risen. "This is fun!"

"Because I make it fun!" She slammed her tail down, crushing several risen. "Whaddya say we heat up this place?" The Manakete blew fire into the water, boiling it and cooking dozens of risen.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Morgan, Merlin, and Inigo sprinted up to them, realizing it was too late.

"Oh! What's up, guys!" Brady said as Merlin zapped a risen.

Inigo groaned, facepalming. "Ugh. We just spoke about this. Risen only disappear when they receive a puncture wound. They're just gonna float there... A risen stew..."

"Great job, guys. Awesome. Ten out of ten. Genius," Merlin blew hot air, shaking his head.

"WAIT! Morgan to the rescue!" The short girl extended her arm and closed her eyes, freezing all of the risen stew. With all of her might, she lifted the frozen mess up and chucked it away, completely out of sight. "Ta da!"

"...Morgan. Now how are we gonna fill the hot springs with WATER?!" Nah shouted, sighing.

"That's all of them..." Yarne converted to his normal forme, Libra and Panne on either side of him.

"Indeed," Libra nodded, strapping his axe to his back.

Panne smiled, cracking her neck. "Took a while, but it'll be worth it for those glorious baths..."

"Um... There's a unisex section, if you two want to... You know..." Yarne blushed, looking upwards.

"They'd probably let Libra in, anyway. But no, we're going to our own respective baths. You have fun with your friends!"

"Well, it's been an honor having you guys!" Anna said, waving goodbye as the Shepherds exited the bath house. You could tell that many of the couple had their share of fun by their red faces, including DeNile and Tharja.

"So, Thar, I'm g-going to need the next few days to myself, I-if it's okay with you..." DeNile told his wife timidly.

Tharja sighed, nodding. "While it pains me to say this, yes. Can I ask why?"

"W-well... I need to do a lot of planning for the Valm thing. And manage f-funds... and give Morgan lessons in strategy..." DeNile scratched the back of her head, biting her lip.

"Well..." Tharja stood on her toes in order to nibble on the girl's ear, causing her to squeal.. "As long as at night, I get you all. To. Myself," she purred seductively, always happy to tease her husband.


End file.
